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The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 70
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T H E K R Y P T O N I A N C Y B E R N E T
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http://www.kryptonian-cybernet.com
Issue #70 - February 6, 2000
Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
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CONTENTS
--------
Section 0: Table of Contents
Editorial Staff
Disclaimers
Subscription Information
Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor(s)
The Greatest, The Newlyweds, and The Animals
Notes about the prize donated to the Kaycees, the most
glaring success of the new creative teams, and the
Superman for the Animals insert.
Ratings At A Glance
Titles Shipped December 1999
The KC Newsroom
The Time Warner/AOL merger, Brainiac 13 on the web, two
new Superman pencillers, an update on Superman: Red Son,
Man of Steel's one hundredth issue, and some DVD and TV
broadcast news.
The One, True, Original Superman!
Bob Hughes discusses Golden Age Superman author Alvin
Schwartz's new book, _An Unlikely Prophet_
Section 2: Adventures in Silver
Brad Ferguson takes a look at Action Comics #297, in which
the Man of Steel finds that the secret of his dual identity
lies in the hands of Perry White!
Faster than a Speeding Bullet
Doug Tisdale's series on the Superman radio serial concludes
its look at the troubles of the Silver Clipper, whose story
lands Clark Kent his newspaper job.
Section 3: Superman Stories
Superboy
Sean Hogan shares with us the solo and team histories of
the post-Crisis incarnation of the teen who wears the S.
Phantom Zone Reviews
Scott Devarney completes his look at the Superman
Specials of the mid-eighties, this time reviewing the Man
of Steel's knockabout with Amazo in Superman Special #3.
Section 4: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Superman #153, by Thomas Deja
Adventures of Superman #575, by G.M. Nelson
Superman: The Man of Steel #97, by Mike Smith
Section 5: New Comic Reviews
The Triangle Titles (cont)
Action Comics #762, by Simon DelMonte
Superman Y2K #1, by Jeremy Bleichman
Super-Family Titles
Superboy #71, by Rene' Gobeyn
Supergirl #41, by Thomas Deja
Section 6: New Comic Reviews
Super-Family Titles (cont)
Superman Adventures #40, by Cory Strode
Team Titles
JLA #38, by Edward Mathews
Young Justice #17, by Edward Mathews
Section 7: New Comic Reviews
Specials
JLA: Earth 2, by Edward Mathews
Superman: End of the Century, by Jeff Sykes
The KC Mailbag
World Famous Comics, a dissenting opinion about Action
Comics #761, Hypertime, and rubber stamps!
EDITORIAL STAFF:
---------------
Jeffery D. Sykes, Publisher and Co-Editor-in-Chief
Shane Travis, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor of Comic Reviews
DISCLAIMERS:
-----------
Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Steel, JLA, Young Justice, and all
associated characters, locations, symbols, logos, and events are copyright
and/or trademarks of DC Comics. This magazine, its publisher and
contributors, and any content related to the Superman family of characters
are not authorized by DC Comics. Use of these copyrighted and trademarked
properties is not intended to challenge said ownership. We strongly suggest
that each reader look to the media sources mentioned within for further
information.
All original material published in The Kryptonian Cybernet, including but
not limited to reviews, articles, and editorials, are copyright 2000 by The
Kryptonian Cybernet and the respective authors. Reprinting in any format
is expressly forbidden without the permission of The Kryptonian Cybernet
and the contributing author.
Opinions presented within this issue belong to the authors of the articles
which contain them. They should in no way be construed as those of any
other particular member of the editorial or contributing staff, unless
otherwise indicated.
This magazine can be distributed in whole, freely by e-mail. Permission is
also granted to advertise subscription information on other on-line
services and/or websites. Should you desire to share this publication with
other on-line services and/or web sites, please contact Jeff Sykes at
sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com for permission.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
-------------
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available by e-mail -- to subscribe, simply send
an e-mail message with the word "subscribe" in the Subject: field to the
following address:
To: kc-request@kryptonian-cybernet.com
Subject: subscribe
This will subscribe the address from which the message was sent. If the
address is successfully subscribed, you will receive a copy of the list's
welcome message. If you have any problems, contact Jeff Sykes at
sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com.
Back issues are available via ftp at ftp.kryptonian-cybernet.com. These
archives can also be reached via the Kryptonian Cybernet Homepage:
http://www.kryptonian-cybernet.com
_______________________________________
End of Section 0
_______________________________________
SUPERSCRIPTS: NOTES FROM THE EDITOR(S)
--------------------------------------------------
By Jeff Sykes (sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
THE GREATEST, THE NEWLYWEDS, AND THE ANIMALS
I want to thank those of you who have already voted in the 1999 Kaycees and
to remind the rest of you that voting will remain open until 11:59 PM EST
on February 13, 2000. As many of you are already aware, long-time
contributor Jon Knutson has donated to the Kaycees prize package a copy of
a special edition of _Comic Book Artist_. This special issue includes a
lengthy interview with Neal Adams about the famous "Superman vs. Muhammad
Ali" comic. This special issue is available only to subscribers, so any
others interested in a copy will have to either subscribe or obtain a copy
from a subscriber.
Jon informs me that a six-issue subscription to _Comic Book Artist_ is
$30.00 (U.S.) and can be ordered by e-mail or over the phone. Visa and
MasterCard are both accepted for subscriptions. Here is the address and
contact info:
TwoMorrows Advertising
1812 Park Drive
Raleigh, NC 27605 USA
Telephone: +1.919.833.8092
Fax: +1.919.833.8023
E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com
Jon adds, "It's a great interview -- took me quite a while to transcribe it
-- and since the special edition is only available to subscribers, it's
sure to be a rare collectible, as well. And of course, _Comic Book Artist_
is a great magazine regardless, as are all the TwoMorrows books (_Alter
Ego_ and _The Jack Kirby Collector_... and coming soon... _Comicology_!).
On another note, I'm still pretty pleased with what the new creative teams
have brought us so far, and I'm intrigued by the visual updating going on
right now with a CG Brainiac and a futuristic Metropolis. But there's one
particular promise made to us by the editor and creators that I believe has
been handled exceptionally. We were told that the creators would be
revitalizing Lois and Clark's marriage, making it a more realistic and
central aspect of the books, and they have succeeded wildly from my
perspective. Not only are we seeing the love and playfulness shared by most
newlyweds, but we're also seeing the couple deal with some of the
insecurities and problems with which most couples have to confront. Most
importantly, this is just portrayed as part of their life, and not in a
soap operatic manner. Kudos for a job well done.
Finally, I'd also like to take a moment to talk about the _Superman for the
Animals_ comic that was bagged with certain DC comics in January. As I've
indicated on many occasions, to me Superman is more about what he stands
for than about what he can do, and so I'm always pleased to see good
stories that help teach kids about topics dealing with morality. _Superman
for the Animals_ is just such a story, teaching kids to stand up to peer
pressure and not to commit senseless acts of violence against defenseless
animals.
But I do have one little problem. The book was prepared for the Doris Day
Animal Foundation, which provided a full-page ad on the back cover. While
the story itself espoused a point of view which is essentially apolitical,
the organizations listed in the advertisement represent a broad array of
ideologies, ranging from responsible pet ownership to the vegan lifestyle.
I don't want to speculate about where in the animal rights spectrum
Superman's ideology would fall, but I have a hard time buying that Superman
is the right character to represent any vegan organization. After all,
various Superman stories have shown the Man of Steel eating meat (and
remember, he eats only for enjoyment -- he doesn't obtain sustenance from
food). Furthermore, other stories have shown that he helped his (farmer)
parents raise cattle, at least when he was younger.
The story itself doesn't espouse anything beyond the idea that kids
shouldn't be committing senseless violence against defenseless animals.
However, the use of the ad could be seen as approval or endorsement of the
entire array of political ideologies represented, either by DC Comics or by
the character of Superman. Additionally, several of the organizations in
the ad are quite political, and I think it's a big mistake for DC to
suggest that Superman stands for any particular political position.
To put it in another perspective, there are many animal rights supporters
who believe that it is wrong to kill an animal for food, because they
believe that animals are sentient beings with a right to live. There are
many opponents of abortion who believe it is wrong to kill a human fetus,
because they believe that a fetus is a sentient being with a right to live.
Would we be likely to see a right-to-life group's advertisement in a
Superman comic? Probably not, and I think that's a good thing (despite my
own personal beliefs). It's one thing to tell us that Superman respects all
sentient life, but it's another thing all together to tell us which side of
a political spectrum that respect encompasses.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that DC should have refused this
story or this publication, because I *do* in fact think that it serves an
important purpose. I would just ask that DC think carefully about the
organizations for which they are providing advertising space, or, more
specifically, about whether or not these ads may appear to portray their
characters as espousing certain political views.
If you'd like to read _Superman for the Animals_ for yourself, the book was
bagged with copies of _Superman Adventures_ #41, _Impulse_ #58, and (I
believe) _Hourman_ #12, among others. We'll have a complete list in our
next issue, along with a review of the book.
____________________________________
RATINGS AT A GLANCE: Titles shipped December 1999
------------------------------------------------------------
Prepared by Shane Travis <travis@kryptonian-cybernet.com>
Key:
----
Issue -- Issue for which 'Current' Rating and Rank are calculated. The
'Previous' columns refer to the issue immediately prior to
this.
Rating -- Average Rating, in Shields (maximum rating is 5.0). The number
in () indicates how many people submitted ratings.
Rank -- The relative ranking of the book among the regularly-published
Superman titles. (T) indicates a tie.
Average -- Average of the ratings for this title over the previous six
issues, each of which is weighted equally, regardless of the
number of people who assigned it ratings. If the average is for
fewer than six issues, the number of issues is displayed in ().
Current Previous Average
Title Issue Rating Rank Rating Rank Rating Rank
----- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
JLA: Earth 2 1 4.3(6) - -- - -- -
Young Justice 17 4.0(6) 1 3.9(5) 2 3.58 3
Action Comics 762 3.9(7) 2 3.1(9) 8 3.22 6
Supergirl 41 3.7(5) 3 3.2(6) 7 3.72 1
Superman 153 3.7(10) 4 4.1(9) 1 3.62 2
JLA 38 3.7(6) 5 3.7(7) 4 3.50 4
Superman Y2K 1 3.6(6) - -- - -- -
S:End/Century 1 3.6(3) - -- - -- -
Adv. of Superman 575 3.5(9) 6 3.3(8) 5 3.02 9
Man of Steel 97 3.1(8) 7 3.8(8) 3 3.20 7
Superboy 71 2.8(6) 8 3.2(6) 6 3.18 8
Superman Adv. 40 2.6(4) 9 2.8(5) 9 3.37 5
"Meteoric rise, meteoric descent..."
SUPERBOY #71 (2.8 Shields, 8th of 9, 8th overall)
- You know, it was only three short months ago that Superboy was riding an
eight-month streak in the #1 overall position. Now it finds itself with its
second-worst monthly rating since Karl and Tom took over, and in eighth
place overall with a lot of fans talking about dropping the book again. So
what was the worst-rated issue since #50? Issue #55, which featured Grokk
the Living Gargoyle and the reincarnation of Jonah Hex as a supermodel. Oh
Look! Who's that I see on the last page? This doesn't bode well for the
future...
"Your mileage may vary."
ACTION COMICS #762 (3.9 Shields, 2nd place)
SUPERMAN #153 (3.7 Shields, 4th place)
ADV. OF SUPERMAN #575 (3.5 Shields, 6th place)
- I point these out for a couple reasons. Firstly, it's *so* nice to see
the core titles out of the bottom of the ratings list. No longer does the
phrase "Triangle Title" equate with "Whipping Boy". What caught my eye
about these this month, however, was the discrepancy between the rating
given by the regular reviewer and those of the rest of the Ratings
Panelists. On _Action_, the reviewer awarded 2.5 Shields and no one else
gave anything under 3.7 Shields. The gap was even wider on _Superman_,
where curmudgeon-in-residence Thomas Deja gave 2.0 Shields and no one else
thought it was worth less than 3.3 Shields. At least the reviewer of _AOS_
had some company; there were three marks that were 2.6 Shields or lower
(including the reviewer's 2.0), and seven of 3.8 Shields or higher. I
really have no explanation for this phenomenon. Are the reviewers getting
less enjoyment from the comics because they have to read the same issue
multiple times while writing? Or do the books perhaps not stand up as well
on re-read -- a fact more obvious to reviewers than the Panelists? That's
one of the reasons we do things this way, folks -- to get a wide diversity
of opinions. I just found it interesting the way this month's opinions
split.
"Old, scmhold..."
YOUNG JUSTICE #17 (4.0 Shields, 1st place)
- You know, everyone has been complaining at how uninteresting or
unrealistic or intrusive the Old Justice sub-plot has been in the last
three issues of _YJ_, but it should be noted that those same three issues
have been the most well-received of the book's run. With an average of 4.0
Shields between them, they've pulled the title into third place overall and
offer promising portents for the upcoming DC-wide Young Justice "Sins of
Youth" crossover in March.
Information for 'Ratings at a Glance' and the ratings that accompany the
monthly reviews of Superman comics are obtained from KC readers. To become
a contributor, or to obtain information about what is required, contact
Shane Travis at <travis@kryptonian-cybernet.com>.
____________________________________
THE KC NEWSROOM
---------------------------------
By Joshua Elder (j-elder@nwu.edu)
After taking a one month hiatus, I have returned with the latest in
Superman news. We've got everything from the AOL-Time Warner merger to the
new artist on _Action Comics_.
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
In what is by far the largest merger ever, America Online Inc. has used
$160 billion in stock to purchase Time Warner Inc. Due to the large number
of legal and logistical issues that must be dealt with in a merger of this
size, the two companies won't be fully integrated until the end of the
year. The combination of the top Internet service provider in the world and
the world's largest media company will undoubtedly change the way both
companies do business. AOL now has Warner Bros.' vast entertainment and
news resources to draw upon for web content and, conversely, WB is now in a
better position than any other media company to transfer their products to
the Web.
The full ramifications of this merger won't be known for some time, but one
thing we can count on is that DC's website will get a lot better in the
months and years ahead.
BRAINIAC 13 ON THE INTERNET
Speaking of DC's website (www.dccomics.com), that wacky CGI Brainiac 13 can
now be found there in a QuickTime animated movie. The CGI version of one of
Superman's oldest villains was built as a 3D model by Steve Kim and
animated by Tommy Yune and Wildstorm FX with initial character design by Ed
McGuinness.
NEW SUPERMAN PENCILLERS
DC has announced that German Garcia will be leaving _Action Comics_ after
only a few months on the title. He will be replaced by a similarly styled
artist, Kano (no, not the guy from Mortal Kombat). Kano's work has already
appeared _Action_ #762 and, as Eddie Berganza asked, "Can you tell which
pencils are his and which are German's?" Kano officially joins as penciller
on issue #764 but contributes the lion's share of pencils to #763, Garcia's
last issue.
In related news, several guest artists will fill in on different Superman
books in the coming months. Ex X-title artists Mike Miller and Cary Nord
will be featured in _AOS_ #581 and _Action_ #766, respectively. Also, Mike
McKone will be filling on _AOS_ for an issue, but will not be the regular
artist. DC recently confirmed that current _JLA_ penciller Howard Porter
will take over _Adventures of Superman_ shortly after his JLA duties
conclude, later this year.
HERO OF THE PROLETARIAT
_Superman: Red Son_, a 4-issue Elseworlds, prestige format miniseries about
Superman growing up in the Soviet Union was supposed to have been completed
months ago but has yet to even be solicited. According to Rich Johnston's
Ramblings 2000 (at twistandshoutcomics.com), the reason for the lateness
lies with artist Dave Johnson, who has only managed to complete one and a
half issues in two years. He's now off the book, but it is unknown whether
DC will have a new artist start from scratch or simply finish the two and a
half issues Johnson left undone. This book has been very highly anticipated
since it was first announced, with many insiders calling it some of the
best work of (writer) Mark Millar's career.
MAN OF STEEL HITS THE CENTENNIAL MARK
In an interview with Rob Allstetter, Mark Schultz talks about the upcoming
100th issue of _Superman: The Man of Steel_ to be released this March. The
double-sized issue focuses on the rebuilding of the Fortress of Solitude,
guest stars Steel, and features the return of the Cyborg. "My best story so
far, I think, and Doug Mahnke's best art," Schultz said. "He really put a
lot into this one -- if you're a fan of Reed Richards-type techno-gizmos,
this one's got them wall to wall."
I've been very impressed with the work Schultz and Mahnke have been doing
on MOS so I'm very much looking forward to #100. The only problem I have is
that they are bringing back the Cyborg. If there is one villain I want to
see permanently removed from the Superman rogues gallery, it would be him.
I have hope that the MOS team will be able to do something with the Cyborg,
though I really don't see how.
DVD AND TV NEWS
Anchor Bay Entertainment's forthcoming 2-DVD set will contain two versions
of _Supergirl_, starring Helen Slater. The DVD will contain the
International Director's cut (125 minutes) and a never-before-seen
140-minute version struck from an original uncut negative. That means that
the world will see an additional 15 minutes of material that have never
been shown until now. It will be THX-approved, and is set for release in
May.
In what appear to be the final episodes of the series, the two-part
"Legacy" episode of the Superman animated series debuted this weekend on
the Kids' WB and will conclude the morning of February 12. In related news,
the creators of the Batman Beyond have indicated plans to include the Man
of Steel in a future episode, probably not to appear before next season.
In other television news, the Arts & Entertainment Cable Network will air
an episode of "Biography" about George Reeves. The episode is scheduled to
air on Wednesday, February 9, at 8:00 Eastern (with a midnight repeat). The
_Steel_ movie starring Shaquille O'Neal will be airing six times on TNT in
February, between Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 20th. Check your local
listings for the airtimes.
____________________________________
THE ONE, TRUE, ORIGINAL SUPERMAN!
---------------------------------------
by Bob Hughes (bobhughes@ttlc.net)
(or see Bob's web page, "Who's Whose in The DC Universe"
at http://members.ttlc.net/~bobhughes/whoswho.htm)
An Unlikely Prophet: Alvin Schwartz and the Silence of Superman
You may have noticed that I've been missing for the last couple of months.
Rest assured it was not because I've run out of things to say about
Superman. I'm not sure that's possible.
First of all, I've got a new job that requires me to supervise offices in 4
different states, which is more time-consuming than I expected.
My second mistake was volunteering to update and reformat all the Dell and
Gold Key Walt Disney titles in the Grand Comics Data Base (www.comics.org).
This is an interesting computer exercise, but definitely is taking longer
than I wanted it to.
Last time we were talking about the two Superman mini-operas that veteran
scripter Alvin Schwartz wrote in the late forties. Since then I've obtained
audio tapes of both of them and can tell that the correct words to the
first verse of the Magic Wishing Ring are:
It was only a prize in a pop corn box
A cheap glass ring that a little boy found
But it made a splash for blocks and blocks
When news of its powers traveled around.
This version rhymes and is much superior to what I could make out from the
mp3 file from which I originally transcribed the script. (Thus proving that
analog technology is still better than digital.)
I contacted Alvin, who has his own column over at World Famous Comics
(http://www.wfcomics.com). He graciously sent me a copy of his new book,
_An Unlikely Prophet_, published by McMurry and Beck, ISBN 0-9659521-2-6
and available from Amazon.com, as well as other on-line and better stocked
real world bookstores.
Alvin is quite an interesting fellow. Sometimes I think the least exciting
thing he ever did was write comic books. You certainly might agree after
reading this recounting of only a few of his adventures on "The Path
Without Form".
Like many writers of the first comic books, Alvin sort of backed into that
career, while making plans to become a novelist. A temporary job to put
food on the table turned into an almost 20 year career, after which he put
fantasy away and went on to other things.
As this book attests to, however, there is no escaping from the Man of
Steel. It all started up again when Alvin's son, an advertising agent
working for a children's book publisher, mentioned to a college professor,
Francelia Butler, that his father used to write Superman. Soon, Alvin was
invited to speak to her children's literature course. And from then on, it
was only a matter of time before the hordes of fandom started to descend on
him, picking his brain for half-remembered facts about events that had
happened, as he saw it, 3 careers ago.
So it was only logical that Superman was fresh in his mind again, as fans
he met at conventions and signings asked hard questions about "why?" Why
did Superman act the way he did? Why would he pretend to be Clark Kent? Why
did he let Lois treat him like that? Why did he always run away after the
rescue was over? Why didn't Superman "hang out"?
Now writers write, they don't necessarily analyze everything, particularly
when Jackson Pollock is on his way over for dinner and the comic books have
to be swept into the closet. (For Alvin Schwartz too had a secret identity.
By day he was comic book writer Vernon Woodrum, by night he was a member of
New York City's art community as existentialist novelist Alvin Schwartz,
author of "The Blowtop.")
This schizophrenic existence probably helped him understand the Man of
Steel, but it was his years writing documentaries for the National Film
Board of Canada that prepared him for Mr. Thongden. For Mr. Thongden was
from Tibet.
Tibet, as we all know, is the mystical capital of the comic book world. All
heroes are either born there, or eventually make the pilgrimage. However,
they don't usually have their visits chronicled by someone who actually
knows something about the country. Mr. Schwartz was, accordingly, prepared
for Mr. Thongden, and Mr. Thongden, becoming acquainted with Mr. Schwartz's
lately restored "fame", was prepared for Mr. Schwartz, also.
Thus begins a mystic journey on "The Path Without Form", an exploration of
the nature of imagination, and the ability of imaginary characters to take
on a life of their own -- perhaps even to escape from the control of their
creators.
Mr. Thongden claims to be just such a creature, a "tulpa", born of the
imagination of others. There are many such beings in the world, some
famous, some may just be your neighbor next door. All it takes is a very
rich, very focused imagination and force of will. Thongden believes Alvin
has the power to create a "tulpa" and has come very close with Superman.
Perhaps he can come closer still.
Can Superman walk into the "real" world? Can Alvin fly into the world
beyond the imagination? Can his will power save Mr. Thongden's "life"? And
what does all this have to do with Mort Weisinger?
The answers are in the book. Despite its rather imposing presentation and
the fact that the publisher has classified it as "metaphysics", it's
surprisingly readable. In fact, I expect it could easily be adapted into
one of DC's Elseworlds graphic novels. Or perhaps even as part of the new
Realworlds line they seem to be developing.
Despite the fact that this book is fairly short, under 250 pages, and you
would think it could be read in its entirety in a couple of hours, it took
me over a month to finish it. Mostly because I kept stopping to think about
what was going on. Then again, I've never been able to read a comic book in
15 minutes either. I have to stop and look at the pictures.
There are no drawings in this book, but there are plenty of word pictures.
Pictures of life in New York City in the forties, pictures of Tibet,
pictures of small-town Ohio in the late twenties (which reminds me I have
to ask him about Superbly) pictures inside the mind of a working artist.
Finishing the book made me hungry for more. Mr. Schwartz claims to be
working on "The Shattering Presence" right now. That's to look forward to
in the future. What I really need right now is one of those mouth-watering
Reuben sandwiches he keeps describing.
What you need is to read this book.
_______________________________________
End of Section 1
_______________________________________
ADVENTURES IN SILVER
------------------------------------
by Brad Ferguson (thirteen@fred.net)
"The Man Who Discovered Superman's Identity"
ACTION COMICS #297
February 1963
The most important background figure of Silver Age Superman continuity was
gruff, cigar-chomping Perry White, editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet.
His, er, chief purpose for being there was to send Lois and Jimmy on
assignments that would get them into trouble, which would inevitably lead
to a satisfying appearance by Superman. It wasn't important that, in the
real world, editors-in-chief don't assign reporters to stories and that, in
fact, they don't often see reporters at all. Perry was the editor-in-chief,
which instantly told the kids reading the comics that, at the Planet, Perry
was the boss.
Perry didn't often get a story centered on him. "The Man Who Discovered
Superman's Identity" (the title as given on the cover) is one of those rare
tales. In fact, "The Man Who Betrayed Superman's Identity" (the title as
given on the splash page) is none other than Perry White.
This Curt Swan/George Klein illustrated story opens with Perry, newspaper
in fist and cigar in face, yelling at his entire staff -- that is, Clark,
Lois and Jimmy -- to go out and get some scoops. Rants Perry, "Can't you
lamebrains write about anything but beauty contests and dog shows? We
haven't had a scoop in weeks!" Lois points out that nothing has happened in
Metropolis lately. Pounding his fist on the desk, Perry yells, "In my day,
a reporter *made* news! Now let's get on the ball! I want scoops! Scoops!
Scoops! Understand?"
Perry overhears his staff grumbling just outside his office. "The nerve of
that has-been talking to us that way!" fumes Lois. "That old fossil
wouldn't know a scoop if he tripped over one!" adds Jimmy. Perry determines
to teach them all a lesson by going out and getting his *own* scoop. He
will hunt down and capture Gentleman Jerry, a jewel thief who's vanished
with a million dollars in loot. Perry tells the entire staff he's fed up
with all three of them, and that he's going on vacation. "No matter what
happens, don't try to find me!" he thunders.
Perry guesses that Gentleman Jerry, who used to be a hobo before he became
a dashing jewel thief, is hiding in "some hobo hangout." Perry disguises
himself as a hobo and begins hopping freight trains, asking around for
Gentleman Jerry. He finds Jerry only two panels later, but the wily Jerry
notices that while Perry's clothes are tattered and torn, his shoes look
expensive. Jerry takes a closer look, recognizes Perry, and slugs him.
Perry falls backward and hits his head on a conveniently placed steel
support, rendering him unconscious. All the hoboes then "take it on the
lam." (Obviously, the writer of this story is a fan of old gangster
movies.)
Later, a dazed Perry struggles up an embankment and onto a nearby highway.
"Where am I? Who am I?" he wonders. Why, Perry has amnesia! A car
approaches, and Perry waves it down. The driver is none other than Dirk
Denver, "underworld kingpin."
"Am I seeing things?" thinks Denver. "That old tramp is Perry White of the
Daily Planet!" Intrigued, Denver pulls over and listens to Perry's story.
"That's right, mister," Perry tells him. "My memory's gone. I don't know
who I am!" All Perry knows is that his chalk-white hat bears the large
initials P.W. inside the hatband.
"This could be the break of a lifetime!" thinks Denver. Perry is told that
he is actually Paul Webster, a once-great reporter whose career has
collapsed. "It's a sad story, Paul," Denver says, making it up as he goes
along. "You got some bad breaks, you took to drink! You began to slip! You
couldn't get a job! The last I heard, you became a hobo ... a tramp!"
"So that's who I am!" Perry says sadly. "A homeless vagabond ... a
has-been!"
But wait! Denver says he's the publisher of _Scoop_ magazine, and that he
wants to hire Perry as a reporter. Denver says, "I'll buy you some new
clothes, and then we'll go to my office!" Perry, touched and humbled by the
generosity of his new friend, gets into Denver's car, and off they go.
Denver's office turns out to be at the Criminal Bureau of Investigation,
which is where "the top secret files and records of the underworld are
kept." Now Denver's plan becomes clear. He, as the phony publisher of the
non-existent _Scoop_, is going to assign his newest reporter, Paul Webster,
to get the story of a lifetime: the secret of Superman's identity.
Is old, long-past-it, memory-challenged Perry the one to get the scoop?
Why, sure he is! Denver shows a doubting confederate Perry's entry in a
book called _Famous Crime Reporters_. "He was the greatest newshound of his
day!" Denver exclaims. "Despite his amnesia, he still has the instincts of
a crack reporter!" Denver's angle? According to a poster on the wall, the
Crime Syndicate will pay a million dollars "for the secret identity of
Superman, enemy of the underworld." (There's even a picture of Superman on
the poster, just in case anyone's forgotten what the costume looks like.)
Perry takes the story assignment from Denver. He tells his new boss, "I'll
show 'em Paul Webster is no has-been! He's *still* the best reporter in the
business!" Perry asks for everything Denver's got on Superman -- clippings,
newsreel films (remember, this is 1963), books, photos, the full wax.
It doesn't take long for Perry to come up with Superman's vital statistics,
which he conscientiously posts on the wall of his office: height 6'2",
chest 44", waist 34", eyes blue, hair dark. Perry has Denver bring him
"photos of men in Metropolis who fit the same description." Perry quickly
winnows the list of suspects to four: FBI agent Chuck Darren, actor Steve
Bevan, some dork named Clark Kent, and science fiction writer Rand
Sterling. They all look like Superman, except that only three of them have
blue hair.
Perry first goes to the desert, where Steve Bevan (described as "the
world's strongest man") is shooting a Samson movie. Hiding behind a rock,
Perry watches as Bevan wrestles a lion. "He handles that lion like a
kitten!" thinks Perry. "With muscles like that, he could perform any kind
of a super-deed!" Discovering that the long-haired, vain Bevan is actually
bald as an egg doesn't dissuade the dogged Perry: "Bevan could still be
Superman wearing a skin-tight rubber cap over his real hair to appear
bald!"
Next, Perry drops by an FBI shooting range to watch Chuck Darren take a
little target practice. "He's arrested more criminals than any other
detective in the country!" Perry observes. "He could easily be Superman!"
When an errant bullet bounces off Darren's chest, Perry accuses him of
being Superman. Darren opens his jacket to reveal a bulletproof vest. Perry
wonders if the vest is a diversion designed to protect Darren's secret
identity. "Me, Superman?" Darren says. "Are you nuts? Get out of here, you
idiot!"
Perry takes that sage advice and drops by the television studio where Rand
Sterling's science fiction shows are produced. Perry sees Sterling flying
around the studio and leaps to the wrong conclusion in a single bound. An
angry Sterling points out the wires from which he'd been dangling, and
orders Perry out of the studio. Thinks Perry: "Brother, did I goof! Now
I'll never be sure if he can fly or not!"
The fourth and last name on Perry's list is Clark Kent. Perry examines a
file copy of the Daily Planet. The front-page headline reads SUPERMAN SAVES
SINKING AIRCRAFT CARRIER. The subhead right under it says CLARK KENT TAKEN
ILL, LEAVES BANQUET, and there's even a picture of Clark. (Apparently no
item is too small for the front page of the Daily Planet. That's what
happens when you try to put out a paper every day with only four people.)
Observes Perry, "Kent strongly resembles Superman! And he's *never* around
whenever Superman is in action!"
Perry disguises himself as a phone repairman and gets Clark's landlady to
let him into his apartment. Perry searches the place and accidentally hits
the switch that opens the secret panel in one of the apartment's walls.
Behind that panel are two Superman robots. "That's all the proof I need!"
Perry exults.
Just then, Clark's phone rings. Perry picks it up and hears, "Hello, Clark?
This is Superman! About those two robots I loaned you for that robot
article you're writing ... I must have them back tomorrow! 'Bye now!" A
puzzled Perry leaves, and afterward we see the two robots tell each other
that the phone call was a phony, triggered by a security device that plays
a "decoy message" through Clark's phone should the robots be found. Swan
and Klein even provide a nice diagram of the setup. Well, that decoy
message covered the robots nicely, but nothing was said in it about the
secret panel itself. Shouldn't the very presence of a secret panel in
Clark's apartment have made Perry suspicious? Perhaps Superman ought to
have added, "By the way, Clark, I hope you like that secret panel I
installed in your apartment! Happy birthday, pal!"
After all that investigating, Perry still thinks that any of the four men
on his list might be Superman. He mails each of them a note: "Dear [your
name here], I have discovered final proof that your secret identity is
Superman. I advise you to meet me tomorrow at 7 p.m. in front of the
Superman statue at the Metropolis Hall of Fame. Signed, X." Bevan, Darren
and Sterling each throw out their copy of Perry's letter, dismissing him as
a nut and a crank.
At the Daily Planet, Clark -- who's running things in Perry's absence, with
Lois acting as his secretary -- recognizes the handwriting on the note as
Perry's, but can't understand why his boss would write such a note, or why
he'd sign it with an X. Has Perry suddenly become illiterate? Has he gotten
married to Malcolm X? Clark resolves to find out.
That evening, at the Hall of Fame, Perry bribes a cleaning lady to
"disappear for a while." She does, leaving her mop and bucket behind. Just
a few seconds later, Clark arrives. "He must be Superman," thinks Perry,
"or he wouldn't come here to silence me! But for the final test I'll use a
scissors and try to cut his hair! Oh-oh, I forgot to bring a scissors
along!" Perry grabs the sword from the Hall of Fame's statue of Julius
Caesar and sneaks up behind Clark, intending to snip off a bit of hair.
However, Perry trips over the mop left by the cleaning lady. Clark whips
around. The point of the sword grazes along the front of Clark's shirt,
cutting it open and revealing his Superman costume underneath.
"Ah, Kent!" Perry says. "Now I have the proof I was looking for! That
costume you're wearing beneath your suit proves you're Superman!" Clark
begins to ask Perry, as an old friend, not to betray his secret, but Perry
stalks off. "I don't know who this Perry fellow is that you're talking
about!" he says. "My name is Paul Webster, a reporter! I've just gotten the
scoop of the century ... and I intend to use it!"
Clark realizes that Perry has lost his memory, but thinks, "Still, he's
discovered my identity as Superman! I've got to stop him from revealing it
to the world! But how?"
Suddenly, clumsy Perry now trips over the *bucket* left by the cleaning
lady and falls against the statue of Julius Caesar, knocking it over.
Amazingly, the statue stops falling, floats in mid-air, and begins to glow!
"Clumsy oaf!" says the statue. "How dare you topple the statue of immortal
Julius Caesar?"
"A ghost?" babbles Perry. "Caesar's ghost? Great Caesar's ghost!"
Well, saying the magic words sure enough does the job, and Perry's memory
is instantly, completely and fully restored. "Great Caesar's ghost!" Perry
cries again. "What happened? What am I doing here? Superman! What's this
all about?" Superman, who cleverly got rid of his Kent clothes at
super-speed while Perry was distracted by all of that floating-statue
stuff, says that he received a "mysterious letter" that told him to come,
and that he'd found Perry there, suffering from amnesia.
"Amnesia? Yes, you're right, Superman!" exclaims Perry. "The last thing I
remember was that I was tracking down a criminal named Gentleman Jerry!"
Perry, who's understandably a little shaky by now, asks Superman to walk
him home.
The next morning, at the Planet, Lois shows Perry a clipping about
Gentleman Jerry's arrest by the police. "Whippersnappers!" Perry fumes
again. "That would have been *my* scoop if I hadn't gotten amnesia!" Then
he wonders, "But I had amnesia for weeks! What was I doing all that time?"
This reassures Clark that Perry doesn't remember a thing, including his
discovery of Clark's little secret. Clark then spends two panels recalling
how he'd made the Caesar statue float and glow with super-breath and heat
vision in order to shock Perry back to his senses. "Poor Perry!" concludes
Clark. "Little does he realize that he had the greatest scoop of all time
... the secret of Superman's other identity! And now he's forgotten it
completely!"
And so it ends. What have we learned, class?
Well, we've learned that it was so easy during the Silver Age to discover
that Clark Kent was Superman that even an amnesiac editor who hadn't worked
a journalism beat in decades could ferret out the secret in only a few
weeks by reading the newspaper and watching a few newsreels. We also
learned that it was really, really dumb of Clark to insist on wearing his
Superman costume under his clothes all the time. (Besides, as anyone who's
ever tried doing it on Halloween can tell you, that big red S can be seen
easily through a white shirt. It shines like a stoplight.)
And what's this business about Lois being assigned as Clark's secretary?
Where was *Perry's* secretary, anyway? Did Lois ever threaten to sue the
Planet over this shabby treatment? And didn't the Planet have any other
secretaries who could have been used, or did it staff the secretarial pool
the way it staffed the newsroom -- that is, with two or three people who
worked 24/7 typing letters, letters, letters the way Clark, Lois and Jimmy
were always out looking for scoops, scoops, scoops to feed the Planet's
insatiable maw? It boggles the mind, I tell you. Great Caesar's ghost!
____________________________________
FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET
-----------------------------------------------------
By Douglas M Tisdale Jr (dmtisdale_jr@yahoo.com)
UP ... UP ... AND AWAY!!
After freeing himself from the Wolf's prison cell, Superman begins to give
chase to the two criminals intent on making the Sliver Clipper, crack train
of the Western railroad, disappear forever. He vaults up the stairs and
makes short work of the skylight; then, alighting to the roof, takes to the
air: "One jump, and we're up ... up ... and AWAY!"
For those of you keeping track, this marks the first time the Man of Steel
utters the soon-to-be-immortal phrase (February 21, 1940, nine days and
five episodes after the show's premier). Of all the various ways that Bud
Collyer indicated the character was flying ("One step, and we're off!" "On
to the roof, now, and into the air!" and so forth), "Up, up, and AWAY!"
quickly became the most popular. In fact it was so popular that the next
great incarnation of Superman, in the movie serials starring Kirk Alyn,
used the phrase just as often as did the radio show. Actually, Alyn spoke
the words only once in the first movie serial (in 1948), and the producers
dubbed the voice in for the other times that Superman took flight. Alyn
felt that for Superman to say that every time he flew on screen was
"ridiculous as hell. The same goes for 'This is a job for Superman.' On
radio it might be okay, you don't see him, you want to know he's changing,
so he has to say something. The same goes for flying. You don't know he's
doing it unless he tells you. But when you see Superman on the screen you
know what he's doing." Alyn's objections were overruled, however; the two
catch-phrases had become identifiably linked with the character thanks to
Bud Collyer, so they stayed.
CHASING THE WOLF
The Wolf and Keno are busy on their way on the road to San Joaquin. In the
car, the Wolf asks Keno if he knows where they're going. Their destination,
as it turns out, is Schooner Canyon Lake. Schooner Canyon, according to the
Wolf, was named for a roaring mining camp which was built in the bottom of
the canyon after a dam turned the lake into a giant reservoir. "Must've
been tough t'get to," observes Keno; and the Wolf replies that the camp was
accessed by a railroad: "They broke a tunnel through the canyon wall, laid
the tracks through the tunnel, and down the canyon wall to the camp."
Although he doesn't say it, the Wolf conveys the impression that the dam
burst at some point, drowning the entire camp at the bottom of Schooner
Canyon. However, the rail lines leading through the tunnel into the
submerged camp still exist. The Wolf's plan is now horribly clear! He plans
to send the Silver Clipper off the main line down this branch through the
tunnel into the lake! Oh, yes, and that missing engine and tinder? That's
exactly where they are, as well.
The Wolf breaks off in the middle of his exposition to comment on a noise,
like a rushing of wind or flapping of wings high overhead. Although Keno
thinks it might be a chickenhawk, we know that it can only be Superman,
flying through the night to foil this horrible plot. Our suspicions are
confirmed a moment later, as the Wolf and Keno drive off the main road and
head towards the tunnel. Exiting their car, they notice a man standing off
in the distance -- a man the Wolf assumes to be one of his workers. When
Keno expresses misgivings, the Wolf assures him that only two people not
connected with his organization know the fate of the missing engine and
tinder, and the impending doom of the Silver Clipper. Those men are the
engineer and fireman of the missing engine, who the Wolf says are "Up on
the rocks, above the tunnel ... shackled down. Later, they'll be found
lying dead by the tracks." The Wolf and Keno make their way down the
tunnel, where the Wolf threatens his henchman's life, accusing him of being
weak. The Wolf shows the lake at the bottom of the canyon: three hundred
feet from their vantage point on the tracks, then one thousand feet of
water. It's now 7:15; the Silver Clipper left Denver twenty minutes ago!
Superman, meanwhile, has overhead every word and flies in a rage to rescue
the stranded engineer and fireman. Finding them, he says, "They'll be the
witnesses that hang you, Wolf!" He frees the two men; then taking one under
each arm, vows to fly them to a nearby ranch house: "They won't know what's
happened, think they crawled there, and summon the police!" So saying, he
takes to the air. After depositing the two unconscious railroad workers at
the nearby Circle Y ranch, he flies to the closest mountain town, where
Clark Kent enters the local sheriff's office. The Sheriff is skeptical of
Kent's story, even after Kent explains about the two men at the Circle Y.
However, he agrees to the young reporter's request to stake out the
Schooner Canyon junction in the hopes of catching the two criminals
red-handed. Kent, meanwhile, calls his paper back in Metropolis and tells
Perry White to hold the presses ("Kent? Why, I thought you were dead.
Where've you been all day?" "Tied up in a cellar, but I got out."). White
agrees to hold the presses, then asks Kent if he knows anything about
reports of a mysterious figure in blue tights and a cape. "Forget it, Mr
White," says Kent with a smile (listen to the tapes, you can *hear* the
smile), "I'm in a position to know."
The Wolf and Keno leave the tunnel, awaiting the arrival of the Silver
Clipper in less than five minutes. The Wolf brushes aside all of Keno's
concerns -- that the train might be able to stop, that she might leave the
rails ahead of time, that the police may find them. Superman flies towards
the junction, with less than a minute to go, and sees that the Wolf's men
have thrown the switch and then destroyed it, leaving the Silver Clipper no
alternative but to fly down into the tunnel and destruction. Superman
quickly uses his tremendous strength to straighten out the tracks and save
the Silver Clipper. As he does so, the Wolf and Keno approach. Keno fires
his gun three times, but the bullets have no effect. As the train
approaches the junction and passes through safely, Keno recognizes the man
as the same one who cleared away the rubble which blocked the Western
Limited. The two villains escape in their car, with Superman in hot
pursuit. The Man of Steel crashes their car and, holding the two in one
hand, wrecks their car with the other. Hearing the police approach, he
takes to the air with this final warning: "If you ever wreck a train again,
or try to ... think what you missed this time! Goodbye!"
The police arrive and come upon a strange scene: the Wolf and Keno, lying
in the road, moaning and groaning in agony, with their car wrecked up
against a tree. Just then Clark Kent arrives and informs the Sheriff that
the missing engine and tinder are at the bottom of Schooner Canyon Lake.
Then he leaves to get back into town, to phone in his story. He returns to
Metropolis, where Perry White welcomes him with open arms (and a reporter's
desk, to boot). White presses him for any news on the Superman rumors ("Do
*I* know anything about this 'Superman'? Why, Chief, what a silly
question!"). Just as White is about to give Clark his next assignment, the
phone rings: "You've caught the Wolf, my friend, for all the good it'll do
you. But the Wolf has a master, and the master speaks to you now ... My
compliments, Mister Kent, on your first -- and *last* performance. You and
your newspaper have interfered with my plans! Very well, my friends. In
exactly twenty-four hours, at this time tomorrow, you and your newspaper
will be blown into a thousand fragments. This is the Yellow Mask! Goodbye."
At last the mysterious power behind the Wolf's actions has been revealed.
But what will this knowledge cost the Daily Planet? What terrible plan does
this Yellow Mask have? How can he make good his threat to destroy the
Planet building? Can Clark Kent or Superman stop him? And when the heck do
we get to meet the rest of the Superman supporting cast? Tune in next time,
same time, same station, to find out!
"Up in the sky -- look!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!" "It's SUPERMAN!"
_______________________________________
End of Section 2
_______________________________________
SUPERMAN STORIES
------------------------------------------
By Sean Hogan (shogan@intergate.bc.ca)
Superboy
The current version of Superboy first appeared in 1993, following the death
of Superman. At the end of _Adventures of Superman_ #500, after Pa Kent
(who was having his own near death experience at the time) seemingly
rescues Clark from the afterlife, five new contenders for the S-shield
suddenly appeared. We now know those five as Cyborg, Eradicator, Steel,
Superboy, and Bibbo.
Okay, so Bibbo wasn't much of a contender -- but he did his best. He also
made an important contribution to Superboy's supporting cast.
Superboy's story begins in the secret Cadmus Project, located outside
Metropolis. The Guardian and Cadmus soldiers rush to answer an alarm at the
mysterious Experiment 13. Blasting open the door, they find a broken glass
container -- empty except for a shredded piece of Superman's cape. Hearing
a shout, the Guardian and Cadmus Director Paul Westfield find scientist
Carl Packard hanging from above, with steel pipes bow-tied around him.
Packard explains that the Newsboy Legion broke "Thirteen" loose before the
code words to control him could be implanted: "We have absolutely no
control over him!"
As the Newsboys help the stranger escape, one of them (Tommy) offers a
leather jacket, while another (Scrappy) wishes him, "good luck, Superbo--"
when the youngest contender for the Superman trademark suddenly whirls
around and shouts, "Don't ever call me SUPERBOY!"
Superboy is dressed in the same costume he wears currently. Clearly the
intention in designing his costume is to distinguish him from the Silver
Age Superboy and give him a more modern outfit. The costume includes a high
collared neck, several straps around the waist, thigh, and boots, as well
as oversized gloves and a leather jacket.
Superboy's first full story is in _Adventures of Superman_ #501. From the
start, and for most of Superboy's career, his tale is told by Karl Kesel,
with pencils by Tom Grummett and inks by Doug Hazlewood. Grummett and
Hazlewood's crisp and clean art highlight Kesel's dynamic and humorous
stories.
I'm not going to review the "Reign of the Supermen" stories in detail since
most readers will be familiar with the tale (and for those that aren't --
make sure that you treat yourselves to the three trade paperbacks, "The
Death of Superman", "World Without A Superman", and "The Return of
Superman", which comprise some of the best Superman stories ever told).
In short order, Kesel sets up the basic elements to the Superboy character
and storylines. Superboy is presented as a hormone-driven and impulsive but
good-hearted teenager with an attitude (especially to anyone calling him
Superboy instead of Superman).
Kesel quickly has Superboy meet Superman's supporting cast (including Lois
-- whom he greets with, "Wow! My death really aged you, huh, Lois?") while
introducing a new cast including Tana Moon, Rex and Roxy Leech, and even
Krypto (saved from a drowning death by Bibbo). Kesel even has Superboy rent
an apartment at 344 Clinton Street, Apartment 3B -- left empty by the
presumed death of Clark Kent.
This first issue (#501) also raises the mystery as to Superboy's origin (is
he a clone of Superman?) and powers. Although he has flight and strength
powers, Superboy has no vision powers. When he smashes open the stormdrain
gate to escape Cadmus, Big Words notes that Superboy's punch left the gate
practically undamaged. Although he seems invulnerable to bullets and buses,
heat from fires can injure him.
Superboy's first serious lesson is brought to him by Steel in _Superman:
The Man Of Steel_ #22 (by Louise Simonson with art by Jon Bogdanove and
Dennis Janke). While dodging gangland fire, Superboy doesn't notice the
Daily Planet helicopter take the hit aimed at him -- killing the pilot and
nearly killing Lois Lane, who is saved by Steel. Superboy learns his lesson
and accepts responsibility for his actions.
Kesel introduces Superboy to another member of the Superman family in
_Adventures of Superman_ #502 as he comes face to chest with Supergirl.
Between manipulations by Lex Luthor, Vincent Edge, and Rex Leech, Superboy
and Supergirl are drawn into a deadly battle with a villain calling himself
Stinger. To escape, Stinger destroys one of Metropolis' bridges -- killing
and injuring numerous victims. Edge also arranges for Superboy to accept
Leech as his manager and to corner the copyright on the Superman name and
symbol. However, Edge's manipulations cause an uneasy Tana to leave
Metropolis.
The battle against the Cyborg and Mongul give Superboy the chance to show
his heroism and grit as he joins the returned Superman and saves Metropolis
from a deadly bomb.
At the conclusion of the death and return story arc, Kesel sets up a new
direction for Superboy in _Adventures of Superman_ #506. Superman rescues
Superboy from some Cadmus DNAliens and the two, along with the Guardian,
decide to return and confront the Cadmus brass to get some answers on
Superboy's origins and powers.
The Cadmus scientists explain that Superboy is not a real clone of Superman
because they were unable to clone his alien, invulnerable physiology.
Instead, they genetically altered a clone and "translated" the aura
surrounding Superman's body into a telekinetic field.
"That's how you can fly or deflect any solid object the instant it touches
you. You can't deflect energy, say fire or lasers. Sorry. But you can do
other things. You can extend the field and lift heavy objects ... or take
things apart ... bend things into any shape you picture mentally." (during
this explanation, Superboy shapes a rope into a woman's outline).
When he is told, "Still -- you are the closest we came to a successful
clone of Superman!", Superboy answers, "But, bottom line -- I'm not his
clone, right? So -- whose clone am I?" That question won't be answered for
a while, as Cadmus' bad guy Director, Paul Westfield, bursts in to stop the
session.
The rest of the issue quickly sets the new course as Dubbilex is assigned
to shepherd Superboy and as Rex Leech is 'convinced' to return the Superman
trademark back to Superman. Superman offers a compromise that, "if half the
profits go to charity, you can use the symbol and the kid can call himself
...
"... Superboy. I think he's earned the name."
Superboy's initial reaction is hilarious. Grummett and Hazlewood draw a
great shocked expression on his face (especially the mismatched eyes) as
the Kid shouts, "Superboy? SUPERBOY?! That name's a joke! It's what I've
been trying to live down since this whole mess started! Thanks! Thanks a
lot! Thanks for nothing!"
As he bursts out of the room, Superboy tells himself, "Yes. That was very
mature. Maybe ... maybe I over-reacted a little." Stopping some criminals,
he tells them, "You punks must think anyone can wear this 'S' shield! Yeah,
I'm Superboy -- but I earned that name!"
Superman meets up with Superboy again and tells him of Rex's plans for a
world tour to establish the new name, adding "and, uh, if you're not
keeping your apartment, I have this friend ...".
Superboy flies off with the classic quote: "second star from the right and
straight on 'til morning ..." When Superman adds, "Peter Pan. How
appropriate.", Superboy replies, "Huh? What're you talkin' about? Captain
Kirk said that!"
Shortly afterwards, Superboy was launched into his self-titled series. The
first issue introduces the new setting of Hawaii, establishes the
supporting cast and sets up the tone of humorous adventure as Superboy
encounters (again and for the first time) the villain Sidearm.
Y'know, there are just some villains who cannot be taken seriously. Sidearm
is one. As Superboy battles the inept villain (calling him everything but
his codename: Sideswipe, Sideboard, Backside, Sidecar etc), our hero uses,
for the first time, the phrase most associated with his powers: "Ever hear
of tactile telekinesis? Mentally moving whatever you touch ... or whatever
touches you? Lets you fly ... lift cars ... shoot sand up from the beach
... take apart robot arms ... Major power. Guess who's got it?!"
Kesel sets up the major elements of his new series by introducing the
supporting cast and some villains as well as showcasing the comic's
trademarks of action and humour..
Although readers had never met Sidearm before, the first issue was filled
with references to their earliermeeting. Some 8 months later, in
_Superboy_ #0, we meet Sidearm again, along with Prof. Emil Hamilton (in
town to work at the local STAR Labs). Superboy later reviews his origins
for Prof. Hamilton. He explains that his first memory is of a cartoon show,
and then Cadmus Director Westfield and Dr. Packard discussing his memory
implants. Superboy adds, "And all this happened real fast! I mean, I went
from single-cell to single-guy in under a week!".
He then reviews his rescue by the Newsboy Legion, his escape and his
meeting with his very first villain, Sidearm (using tentacles that make him
look like Spider-Man's pal, Doctor Octopus).
_Superboy_ #0 also has one of my favorite one-liners, as Superboy tries out
various headgear for the x-ray glasses made for him by Hamilton. It's a
visual joke, so you'll have to read the issue to understand, but the line
is, "Look, bobbing in the water -- it's Super-buoy!"
Maybe it's just me.
Kesel's first run on _Superboy_ (up to issue #30) was well regarded and had
lots of fans. Two notable stories during this period are the Zero Hour
issue, _Superboy_ #8 and the 1995 Year One themed _Superboy Annual_ #2.
With all of the strange events happening during Zero Hour, probably the
most welcome was the return of the Silver Age Superboy. A freak storm
forces a plane carrying Superboy, Dubbilex, and Krypto to land outside
Smallville. The original Boy of Steel materializes and helps rescue the
plane.
With neither Superboy aware of the other, they both head into Smallville.
While the current model shows off for the locals, young Clark Kent strolls
down the street to encounter all kinds of strange changes, including an
adult Lana Lang. It's a 'fight and team up' story with a nostalgic and
tragic twist as the young hero realizes that he is the anomaly and that by
his very presence is causing changes to this reality.
Standing by the Kents' farmhouse, the Boy of Steel says goodbye to the Teen
of Teek as he stops fighting the forces trying to pull him away and, with
heroic sacrifice, allows himself to vanish. Superboy, after a brief
introduction to Ma and Pa Kent, heads off to help save the universe from
the Zero Hour crisis.
In _Superboy Annual_ #2 (co-written by Karl and wife Barbara Kesel with
pencils by David Brewer, assisted by several inkers) we finally learn the
answer to Superboy's DNA template. Superboy is summoned back to Cadmus,
which has discovered the lab containing the twelve prior failed attempts to
clone Superman.
The first clone, still in stasis, is accidentally released. The reason that
clone had never been activated was that it had been created using a "flawed
process" -- the one used by Dr. Teng which created the first Bizarro.
Superboy and Bizarro Superboy take the usual fight and team approach (as
Bizarro returns Superboy's punch he says, "Ha! Me understand! Me must show
am worthy of name Superboy! Clever test! Me not fail!)
The scientists also find some of the original genetic material used to make
the clones and some videotapes. Superboy learns that his cell-stock came
from the slimy and now deceased former director of Cadmus, Paul Westfield
(killed by Dabney Donovan in _Superman_ #90 -- although since Donovan
salvaged an ear, it's always possible that Westfield could reappear -- no
pun intended).
Superboy understandably doesn't take the news well, but comes to terms with
the revelation after a pep-talk by Superman and a surprise first birthday
party thrown for him by his friends.
Although Superboy starred in solo adventures in his own title, he has also
been a member of several team groups, including Team Superman, the Legion
of Super-Heroes, Superboy and the Ravers, and Young Justice.
Kesel reconnected Superboy to Legion lore by having him save a dying Lar
Gand in _Superboy_ #18-19. Similar to the original pre-Crisis version,
Superboy saves Lar (known pre-Crisis as Mon-el and post-Crisis as Valor and
later M'Onel) from lead poisoning by sending him into a 'stasis zone' where
he stays for the next 1,000 years until being freed and healed by the
Legion.
Superboy meets the Legion when they travel to his time to get information
allowing them to save Lar in the story arc titled "Future Tense"
(_Superboy_ #21, _Legion of Super-Heroes_ #74, and _Legionnaires_ #31).
This fun arc ends with the Legion giving Superboy a flight ring and
granting him honorary member status.
While the series _Superboy And The Ravers_ died as of issue #19 and topped
the Kaycees 'worst Superman family title' award towards the end of its run,
it started out with great promise and had some enjoyable stories.
The opening arc in issues #1-4 is a good self-contained introduction to the
series and cast with terrific art by Paul Pelletier and Dan Davis. Also
great fun was the three part "Road Trip" in issues #7-9, where Superboy and
his pals travel America and meet Impulse (for the first time), stop in at
Guy Gardner's Warriors club, and finally meet Superman in Metropolis.
Superboy met his other Young Justice partner, Robin, in the two-issue
prestige series _WF3: World's Finest 3_. When Metallo shows up in Gotham
while both Batman and Superman are away, Robin puts in a call to Superboy.
Superboy, expecting to meet Batman, isn't terribly impressed by the junior
partner, making remarks like, "So, I've only got one question -- who are
you?" and "Batman -- impressive. But 'boy wonder'?" When Superboy falls
under the control of Poison Ivy, Robin saves the day and proves that
Superboy's physiology is sufficiently similar to Superman's that the Kid
can be harmed by Kryptonite.
The trio first teamed up in the two-issue prestige series, _JLA: World
Without Grown-Ups_, which led to their ongoing _Young Justice_ series (and
for those interested, Robin and Impulse meet in the hilarious _Robin +
Impulse_ #1 special written by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, and featuring
great art by John Royle and Rob Leigh). _Young Justice_ writer, Peter
David, continues the humour and action found in both Superboy's and
Impulse's series (although later mixed with serious, dramatic stories).
Ron Marz' run on _Superboy_ (issues #32-47) made a significant contribution
to the ongoing saga with the five part "Meltdown" storyline, which began in
_Superboy_ #38 (with part 4 in _Superboy And The Ravers_ #10). Superboy's
genetic structure is literally melting as a result of tampering by a group
called the Agenda, who created a clone of Superboy's called Match
(_Superboy_ #35-36).
The story comes to a climax in _Superboy_ #41 when Roxy Leech volunteers to
risk her life. The only way to save Superboy is to speed up the cell
degeneration and then rebuild it using a donor's template. The catch is
that the donor has to undergo the same process. Since the donor must be
close to Superboy's physical age of 16, Roxy is the only compatible
volunteer.
Some tense pages later, Superboy and Roxy are both back and whole and they
seal their resurrection with a big kiss. The process changes the
relationship between the two. Roxy explains that when she kissed Superboy,
she knew things were different and that although they were now closer, it
was, "as if S.B. and I are ... family." Superboy tells Tana that Roxy is,
"part of me now, and I'm glad she is. But ... as far as being my best babe
... it's always been you and that's the way it's always gonna be."
Or not.
The other news, which Superboy doesn't take as well, is that his
rejuvenated body is now frozen at the age of 16. Superboy's dream was that
one day, Superman will retire and then the grown Superboy would become the
next Superman.
Once again, it's Superman who helps the Kid come to terms with his newest
change. Appearing during his electric Superman Blue phase, he reminds
Superboy that life is not always predictable, "especially in our line of
work". Superman adds that his changes weren't something he expected or
wanted, but he is making the best of it. Pointing to the S on Superboy's
chest, he says that to him the symbol means, "doing your best all the time,
and coming out on top. No matter what's standing in your way."
Marz doesn't gloss over the change or have Superboy fully accept the loss
of his dream, as Superboy says, "It's gonna take a lot of thinking on my
part, but you're right Supes ... the never ending battle goes on!"
Shortly afterwards, the news came out that Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett were
going to return to the _Superboy_ title as of issue #50. To prepare for the
new direction Karl wanted to go, his wife Barbara Kesel came aboard as
guest writer to clear the existing slate.
In _Superboy_ #49, as Roxy searches for a missing Superboy, the main cast
heads off in different directions. Tana (no longer an item with Superboy)
heads out for a mysterious job offer, Dubbilex is recalled to Cadmus, and
Roxy leaves to help her father Rex, who is once again in some kind of
trouble. The only main cast member to remain on the island is Krypto -- who
is left behind in the care of Superboy's school classmate, Hillary Chang.
With the cast sent its various ways, the original Superboy creative team
(minus inker Doug Hazlewood) returned with the four-part "The Last Boy On
Earth" in _Superboy_ #50-53. Kesel returns to humour and action with
generous helpings of characters and inspirations from legendary comics
creator, Jack Kirby.
Given that we are now into recent stories, I won't review them in detail
(check out back issues of the Kryptonian Cybernet for reviews if you are
interested), but I will strongly recommend that you get both "The Last Boy
On Earth" and the hypertime saga "Hyper-Tension" in _Superboy_ #60-65
(which features the return of the Zero Hour Superboy and has the Kid learn
Superman's secret identity). Also of note is _Superboy_ #59, where Superman
has the Kid visit Krypton via virtual reality and gives him the Kryptonian
name of Kon-El (both an obvious anagram of klone and a nod to the Silver
Age Superboy's friend, Mon-el).
Superboy has been a popular addition to the Superman cast and is currently
featured in two series, _Superboy_ and _Young Justice_, as well as having
frequent appearances as a member of Team Superman and guest stints in other
comics from time to time. If you haven't been a regular reader of
Superboy's -- do yourself a favour. Pick up some issues and enjoy!
____________________________________
PHANTOM ZONE REVIEWS
--------------------------------------------
By Scott Devarney (devarney@ll.mit.edu)
This month concludes our look at the Superman Specials of the mid-80s. The
final Special features a battle royale between Superman and Amazo, the
android with all of the powers of the Justice League.
SUPERMAN SPECIAL #3
1985
"Amazo Means Mayhem"
Plotter: E. Nelson Bridwell
Scripter: Len Wein
Penciller: Irv Novick
Inker: Pablo Marcos
Letterer: Milt Snapinn
Colorist: Gene D'Angelo
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Superman has just finished setting up the inactive form of Amazo in his
Fortress of Solitude when the android mysteriously vanishes. After checking
on the whereabouts of previous owners, Superman narrows it down to
Professor Ivo, Amazo's creator.
Professor Ivo created Amazo to steal the powers of the Justice League in
Ivo's quest for immortality. Eventually Ivo created a serum that would
extend his life to 500 years. However, a delayed reaction to the potion
changed him into a hideous monstrosity. (The above information is courtesy
of _Who's Who_ #18, August 1986.)
In a secret laboratory, Ivo repairs the damage caused by Amazo's last
battle with the Justice League. He then orders Amazo to capture the Man of
Steel, but not by siphoning the Kryptonian's powers; he needs Superman's
full life force to power a machine that will make him human again.
Amazo smashes in on the WGBS newscast and challenges Superman to meet him
at midnight. At the appointed time, the two meet and fight a protracted
battle to a draw. Because he cannot drain Superman's powers, Amazo retreats
to the Fortress to tap into another power source.
After an unseen battle, Amazo brings an apparently unconscious Superman to
Ivo's lab. Before Ivo can activate his machine, Superman breaks free and
captures the renegade professor. When Amazo ignores Ivo's commands,
Superman reveals that most of the android's wiring has self-destructed.
Although Superman refuses to reveal how Amazo lost, he thinks back to their
showdown at the Fortress. Amazo intended to siphon the power of the
Kandorians. He didn't know that the original Kandorians had long since been
enlarged on another world; the current bottle city is a replica populated
by a race of naturally tiny alien exiles whose homeworld orbited a yellow
sun and have no powers to steal.
Running throughout the issue is a subplot of someone taunting Clark with
the knowledge of his secret identity. It turns out that the culprit is
Peter Lowell, a.k.a. the Amazing Presto, nephew of Daily Planet obituary
editor, Ryan Lowell. In _Action Comics_ #429, Ryan accidentally learned
Superman's secret; Peter learns this while using hypnosis to cure his
uncle's insomnia. Both Ryan and Peter voluntarily undergo super-hypnosis to
remove the knowledge.
From the above synopsis, it's evident that this story is steeped in late
pre-Crisis continuity. E. Nelson Bridwell creates a plot using then-recent
Justice League history (the disbanding of the original League and
subsequent abandonment of their satellite headquarters forces Superman to
store Amazo in his Fortress; Ivo's disfigurement is first revealed in his
last encounter with the League), Kandorian history (the original Kandor's
enlargement and the introduction of the new Kandorians), and the return of
an obscure Daily Planet staffer. Yet, to the credit of Len Wein's script
and some well-placed footnotes, the reader never feels lost. In fact,
readers who are only familiar with today's Superman would have no problems
understanding the context of this story.
The fight between Superman and Amazo, while long, (23 pages out of a
45-page story) holds the reader's interest. Amazo features the powers of
every original League member except Firestorm and Green Arrow. Ivo's
needing Superman's full life force intact provides a logical explanation as
to why Amazo couldn't just drain Superman's powers and be done with it. The
only question not satisfactorily answered is why Amazo didn't press with a
magical attack. This particularly stands out because his possession of
Zatanna's powers is heavily foreshadowed in the WGBS attack.
Irv Novick's art is a mixed bag. He excels in the quieter scenes, such as
those featuring Clark, and in the close-ups. The proportions seem off in
some of the wider shots; Superman's head seems too small for his body in a
couple of places. He does a fine job of displaying Amazo's various powers,
and the mix of scene angles helps retain interest in the long fight.
The art is spoiled by the Flexographic printing system used to produce this
issue. Flexographic printing was an experimental process tried by DC and
Marvel in the mid-80s; if memory serves, it was hoped that the system could
create offset printing quality in standard format books. DC used it
primarily for its specials and mini-series. A big problem with the process
is that colors don't sink into the paper as much, so they look garish. The
coloring looks really sloppy, but I tend to blame the Flexographic
printing, as Gene D'Angelo has done better work elsewhere.
All in all, there's an entertaining story here that makes good use of some
ignored elements of Superman's continuity. Unfortunately, it's mired in
uneven art and poor coloring.
_______________________________________
End of Section 3
_______________________________________
NEW COMIC REVIEWS
-------------------------------------------
Comics Arriving In Stores December 1999
We have twelve reviews for you this month, including December's two
hardcovers and the _Superman Y2K_ special. Speaking of which, let me point
out that we have decided to run our triangle reviews this month in the
order they were released instead of the order of the triangle number.
Besides, it's not like the three affected issues needed to be read in any
particular order.
We were still left with four additional books not reviewed. First, _JLA
Showcase 80-Page Giant_ #1 included a tale involving Superman and the rest
of the League; a story starring Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern which
ties in with the Eclipso crossover from several years ago; a team-up story
starring Steel and Aquaman; and a really weird but cute story involving
Superman, Batman, the Joker, and Doomsday! In the guest-star department,
_Hourman_ #11 finds the title character back in the 853rd Century, where he
must deal with that era's Superman and the rest of the Justice Legion, and
Wonder Girl gets a makeover to make Superboy notice her in _Wonder Woman_
#153. Finally, there was also the Millennium Edition reprint of _Action
Comics_ #1, one of the few times that the first Superman story has been
reprinted along with all of the other content from that issue.
Ratings Panelists:
-----------------
CoS: Cory Strode GN: G.M. Nelson RG: Rene' Gobeyn
DWk: Douglas Wolk JB: Jeremy Bleichman SDM: Simon DelMonte
EM: Edward Mathews JH: Josh Hill SL: Sebastian Lecocq
GC: Glenn Crouch JSy: Jeff Sykes ST: Shane Travis
GD: Gavin Douglas MS: Mike Smith TD: Thomas Deja
As always, the first rating given after the average is that of the
reviewer. The average rating given for each book may correspond to a
larger sample of ratings than what is printed following the average.
========================================================
THE TRIANGLE TITLES:
-------------------
5. SUPERMAN #153 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Say Goodbye"
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Guest Penciller: Mike McKone
Guest Inker: Marlo Alquiza
Lettering: Comicraft
Colors: Tanya and Richard Horie
Assoc. Editor: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund, and Richard & Tanya Horie
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
TD: 2.0 Shields
DWk: 3.4 Shields - Pretty to look at (more McKone soon, please?) and nice
character bits with Clark, Lois and Jimmy, but it's spoiled by the
tedious, predictable fight. Action stuff is not Loeb's forte.
GC: 4.0 Shields - This story line turned out better than expected, and
this issue handled the inevitably complex relationship between
Lois and Clark very well. I also thought the art was very good,
especially in the space scenes.
JB: 3.9 Shields - A good, solid Superman story. I'm really going to miss
McKone when he's gone. .3 off for the horrible cover.
JH: 4.0 Shields - Nothing ground-breaking, just a good ol' Superman story
the way we like it, though I hope it does help people to see Supes
as more of a battle tactician than ever before.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - Fight scene was a little boring, though I enjoyed that
it was shortened due to Superman using his brain. With the final
page, I'm a bit concerned that we're escalating the threat of the
villains a bit more than necessary.
SDM: 3.5 Shields - Entertaining, very well drawn, and well scripted, but a
bit anticlimactic. The end of the story seemed to come too quickly.
Still, more proof that Loeb gets Superman.
ST: 3.3 Shields - The first six pages are *perfect*, but sadly it went
downhill from there. The fight scene didn't seem.., majestic
enough, although Clark's solution was well thought-out. What the
heck did Kal use on Mongul's kid, though?
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
Let's get it out of the way right now; the cover, done by Rob Liefeld doxy
Ian Churchill, is truly, amazingly hideous. It's not just that it's a
knock-off of an Image knock-off, which is bad enough. It's that Churchill
creates an utterly ridiculous tableau that asks us to accept as its central
image Superman shooting his heat vision into a space behemoth's mouth. It's
the kind of cover that is wrong in so many ways, and I hope DC stops this
'guest cover artist' of the month policy cold soon.
Let's get the other thing out of the way as well. This is the first issue
where the new team stumbles, and they stumble pretty badly. I should've
seen this coming with the advent of Joe Kelly's remarkably generic Wonder
Woman story last week, but one still has hope. Much like the Kelly story,
"Say Goodbye" is generic. It's a cough instead of a rifle shot, the
ordinary punch line at the end of a fantastic build-up.
The story is that, as Lois waits, Superman and Mongul Jr. fly out to outer
space to send this Imperiex packing. If you remember from last issue,
Imperiex was this unseen bad ass who supposedly was so frightening he
*threw* Mongul Jr. to Earth. Well, as Lois explains why Supes asks Jimmy
Olsen to convey the message, 'Beef bourguignon with ketchup,' we finally
find out who Imperiex is...
... And he's a big space guy in armor and a spaceship who's building a
universe-sucking device. Sound familiar?
So Mongul and Superman fight Galac-ummm, Imperiex. During the battle, the
Man of Steel finds a way to stop Galac-Imperiex from sucking our solar
system into his giant 'vortex machine,' just in time to stave off a
betrayal by Mongul Jr. using... something... that Batman gave Aquaman to
pass along to Superman. Supes drops Mongul off with Lobo, who just
*happens* to be passing by, then speeds home for an (implied) Christmas Eve
reunion with Lois, and all's right with the world.
Part of the problem comes from Loeb's motif of having Lois narrate every
issue. Now, the bulk of this issue takes place in outer space. Loeb
understandably realizes there's not much Lois can say about a fight she
cannot possibly witness, and wisely he doesn't try. Instead, he creates
this sort of rambling monologue that touches on everything *but* the fight.
He has Lois expound upon the present situation with her family, with Ron
troupe and Lucy Lane's baby, with the reason for the 'Beef bourguignon with
ketchup' message. All the while, we're watching what is more or less a
fight scene between Superman, Mongul and a big guy with a machine. There's
something very discordant about these down-to-earth ideas and the big
blowout, and Loeb doesn't work hard enough to make them fit. It also
doesn't help that by having Lois describe the discord in her family, Loeb
violates the "show, don't tell" tenet of good writing.
There is one good, typically Loebian moment; a talk between Superman and
Jimmy where the Man of steel tells the Boy Blunder that yes, he is married
and yes, Jimmy is one of his closest friends. It's a great moment, and in
one page speaks volumes on the idea of Supes as the Last Decent Man in the
DCU, but then Mongul goes and starts mumbling, and we're off to the space
races. There's also a deliciously wicked punchline to the Imperiex mess,
but I shan't say more about that.
When you get down to it, the fight is kind of confusingly choreographed. In
fact, some moments, like when Supes uses that 'special item' Aquaman gave
him, make little sense. It seems pretty slight overall and more than a bit
predictable in the big-picture sense. (When Mongul finally tries to kill
Supes after Imperiex is beaten, the response is not, "Oh, no!" but, 'What
took him so long?') The big faboo fight scene may very well be Loeb's
weakness. He didn't do many of them in _A Superman for All Seasons_, and
this may be the reason, but it beats me why he chose to expose this
weakness at the end of his first major story arc.
Getting to the art, McKone is his usual fine self, although I do think he
deserves part of the blame for the mess that is the fight scene. If he is
responsible for the utterly boring character design of Imperiex ("I'm
really stripey and wear orange eggs on my shoulder! Fear me!"), he also
gets points off. That being said, however, I'm still very taken with the
way he, inker Alquiza, and colorists Tanya and Richard Horie mesh to create
this decidedly 30's-style cinematic look to the book. McKone has found a
way to use heavy grays and graduated colors to create a very old-time
Hollywood look. and it's obvious from looking at many of the additions and
changes in this reboot that Loeb and the others are taking their cue from
the TV Superman cartoons, which took their cues from the Fleischer cartoon.
I have problems with some of the smaller details, but overall, I like the
look. Of course, I've liked Ed McGuinness' art over in _Mr. Majestic_ as
well, and that's a Superman knock-off, so I don't expect to like next issue
any less (although I do hope the editors consider McKone as Dematteis'
partner over in _Adventures_).
Loeb is a master of characterization; he is not a master of the big fight
scene. I suspect that this issue and next issue, part of the whole
'Superman Y2K' slugfest,' will hard for him to handle. One of the nice
things about this new arrangement, though, is that we can return to his
strengths right after, which makes "Say Goodbye" a forgivable foul-up.
========================================================
6. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #575 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"A Night at the Opera"
Plotter: Stuart Immonen
Dialogue: Mark Millar
Penciller: Yanick Paquette
Inkers: Dexter Vines, Rich Faber, and Jim Royal
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Seps: WildStorm FX
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Lee Bermejo, Jim Royal, and Liquid
RATINGS
Average: 3.5/5.0 Shields
GN: 2.0 Shields
DWk: 4.1 Shields - A clever idea for a story, but it strains credulity
that Luthor would go to such immense lengths.
EM: 4.3 Shields - I like it when we get to see how smooth Luthor can
be. This issue manages to show the "why Metropolis likes him"
side as well as the "why Metropolis should fear him" side.
JH: 4.3 Shields - A textbook example of story and art combining for
superior storytelling. It may not be a highly memorable tale, but
it was technically flawless.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - Paquette's art here isn't as nice as it was during his
stint on _Wonder Woman_, but it was still pretty good. This was
the creepiest I've seen Lex in a long while. I get the impression
he's not seriously interested in Lois; he just wants to make her
uncomfortable...
SDM: 2.6 Shields - Surreal. Who is this person pretending to be Lex
Luthor? The others are clearly Lois and Clark, but this insecure,
immature and rather unsubtle man is not Luthor. And whose idea was
it to have Lex court Lois again after abandoning that plot in 1986?
TD: 2.0 Shields - For the life of me, I have no idea what this story was
about. The guys really fall flat in attempting (I think) a more
psychological look at 'why Lex is so nasty' and it just doesn't
work due to confusing plotting.
Review by: G.M. Nelson <KALEL224@aol.com>
Summary: Lex Luthor arranges for a night at the opera with Clark Kent and
Lois Lane, taking pains to drug Clark and keep Superman busy so he can
spend the majority of the evening alone with Lois trying to impress her,
even going so far as to stage an attempt on his life so he can look heroic
by beating off the assailant.
If this summary seems a bit terse, well, frankly this story doesn't deserve
much more. So much of this story makes so little sense, it's hard to know
where to begin.
A hero is measured by his adversaries, and if this is the best that can be
done with the villain regarded as Superman's greatest foe, the Man of Steel
is in deep, deep trouble. Once upon a time, Lex Luthor was a threat. He was
an actual menace; he was someone to be feared. He was Superman's Greatest
Foe. Nowadays, unless you're reading _JLA_, you're pretty much left with
Superman's greatest nuisance. I mean, drugging Clark's drink so he has to
run to the bathroom all night (or would if he weren't Superman)? When was
the last time Luthor actually did something (in the Superman core titles)
worthy of Superman's arch foe? Instead, this issue serves to reintroduce
perhaps the most ill-considered element of the post-Crisis revamp besides
the elimination of Superboy -- the subplot of Lex' desire for Lois. It just
seems pathetic that the best this billionaire can do is chase a married
newspaper reporter.
If Luthor's interest in Lois is hard to understand, Lois and Clark's
behavior really defies logic. It's a rare night out for the two of them,
and they choose spend it with Lex Luthor? Yeah, it's "Don Giovanni," which
happens to be Lois' favorite opera (never figured Lois for an opera buff,
but that's just me), but -- outside of curiousity about what he's up to --
why would these two willingly give up a night together alone to spend an
evening with Luthor? A few months ago, Lois could barely stand working for
him when she was the couple's sole means of income. Lois, this guy once
intentionally poisoned your mother to get close to you, and he's tried to
kill Clark (okay, as Superman) on more than one occasion! Are readers
supposed to believe neither one of these two has the moral courage to turn
down opera tickets?
It's stories like this that make me nostalgic for the old Lex Luthor,
complete with purple and green battlesuit and all those trimmings.
One complaint I had in the earliest days of the revamp was that it seemed
like Luthor was behind every threat to Superman; today, it seems like he's
everywhere (including Gotham City) but isn't really a threat at all. Even
the overused Cyborg seems better in comparison.
Miller's dialogue doesn't help this story a bit. Reading, "I don't think
I've ever witnessed human features so aesthetically or mathematically
pleasing," just made me cringe. Lines like these sound okay coming from the
android Data on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"; from Luthor it just
sounds stupid.
Fortunately, the art bolsters this issue. Despite there being three inkers,
the art never seems disjointed or uneven. Paquette handles Superman and his
cast nicely -- evoking Immonen without directly trying to imitate him. I'm
not sure if he's going to be a regular in the stable of artists, but I
wouldn't mind seeing more of his work.
If this review comes off as a little harsh, it's just because Luthor
deserves better treatment than this. After an issue like this, I'm of the
opinion that there ought to be a moratorium on Luthor stories until the
writers come up with a plan worthy of him.
========================================================
8. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #97 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Bridge the Past and Future"
Writer: Mark Schultz
Penciller: Doug Mahnke
Inker: Tom Nguyen
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Separations: Wildstorm FX
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Brian Hitch, Paul Neary, and Ian Hannin
RATINGS
Average: 3.1/5.0 Shields
MS: 3.0 Shields
EM: 4.0 Shields - I'm glad they are addressing some of the serious
points, left over from _Steel_, such as Boris (Paul)'s HIV status.
Oh, yeah... Superman is in the book, too.
JB: 2.4 Shields - Schultz continues to bore me. He needs to get away from
this "evil fortress" stuff, 'cuz it's just not working for me.
JH: 3.9 Shields - I'm really enjoying the high sci-fi slant on this
series. The fact that Superman isn't the narrator helps to keep
him more "alienated".
JSy: 2.5 Shields - This could have been better. The Eradicator's scars
don't really look like scars. The dialogue felt too forced, the
Eradicator's narrative was murky, and the use of three points
of view in the narrative was sometimes confusing.
SL: 3.3 Shields - Natasha is delightful; I hope she's always this
sarcastic. The return of Steel in Superman's titles is a great
idea. I hope his new armor will be up to it and that his work will
change the SCU.
TD: 2.9 Shields - It's a big fight scene, pretty much, well-written but a
little lacking, and without anything to sink one's teeth into.
*Gorgeous* Bryan Hitch cover, though.
Review by: Mike Smith <mike_p_smith@hotmail.com>
Excuse me, I need a moment to mark out...
STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL~!
That's better. See, the big selling point on this issue (for me, anyway),
is seeing My Fav'rit on the cover, making it official that he's back in the
saddle on this book.
Oh, and the Eradicator, and Superman, or something. I'm sure it'll come
back to me.
The important thing is that Mark Schultz is the next writer in line to pick
up the hot iron potato, and just like the ones who've gone before, Mark
Schultz cares about Steel. I don't know who's luckier, John or me.
The proof's in the plotting. Our story opens with an establishing shot of
Stryker's Island with narration from John Henry Irons catching up on his
journal entry for New Year's Eve. Cutaway to John and Natasha moving into
their new home in Metropolis -- an old steel mill, natch. Uncle and niece
banter, and Natasha angsts over moving to a new city yet again. She
clutches a purple teddy bear as she mentions it's been two months since she
found out Boris was HIV positive -- a development that took place in the
old _Steel_ series. Continuity and everything!
Just then, Superman knocks on the skylight and brings John an iron
meteorite as a housewarming gift. Nat acts all catty to Superman, so he
takes a powder, leaving John to notice an ion fluctuation in the
atmosphere.
That would be Eradicator '93 tumbling from the sky. He's flashing back to
his origins (Navigational Aid, Kryptonian Genocide Device, Superman
Villain, Schizophrenic Super-hero), when suddenly he's overcome with
impulses from Eradicator '99. See, the copy of his program in the Fortress
of Solitude has been linked to him mentally, and has been fighting the
humanoid version for control. Driven nearly mad, Eradicator '93 goes on a
rampage, bent on destroying Stryker's Island.
The S.C.U. are dispatched at once to quell the prison disaster, and Steel
takes on the Eradicator until Superman arrives to take over. In the course
of their fight, a bridge is damaged, and a mother and daughter fall off in
their car. At the last second, Eradicator snaps out of it and rescues them.
While they fix up the bridge, '93 explains that '99 is trying to influence
his mind, and that he must leave the Earth lest he lose control again.
Steel is left to pick up the pieces at Stryker's Island, giving us some
mysterious foreshadowing of the upcoming events of the Y2K story arc as he
does so.
So you may have noticed I gave this issue lower marks than the last few
yarns by Mark Schultz. Why, you ask? Well, because as much as I like
Steel, to be perfectly fair, it _is_ Superman's book. Even if he does have
four titles to go around, this was supposed to be the continuation of the
Fortress of Solitude storyline, and it really didn't advance that much at
all.
Granted, I think the introduction of a second, still-evil Eradicator left
more than a few fans wondering where the "good" one had run off to, but
this issue seems more than a little like sweeping him under the rug. That's
fine, since I prefer Schultz's villainous revamp of the character, and the
humanoid version is no stranger to Comic Book Limbo, but did we really need
a whole installment of the story to smooth over one plot hole?
Truthfully, no. About half of one seems to work, and Steel is given some
much needed panel-time to pick up the spare, but what about Superman? He's
relegated to swooping in every six or seven pages to remind us he's the
star of the show. I made my feelings on that scenario very clear in my
review of #94; I hoped it wouldn't happen again, and it looks like I'm not
getting my wish. The only saving graces here are: 1) Steel is a more
rounded character than Strange Visitor, and 2) Mahnke and Nguyen are an
incredible art team, who can even make second tier guest-stars look good.
By the way, I'm loving the new Bizarro haircut and skin condition the
Eradicator is sporting. It's only a matter of time before he starts
smashing up prisons... oh, wait. Nevermind.
One other little complaint while I'm at it. The Eradicator's thought
captions were rendered as blurry orange text in some kind of Kryptonian-
style font on blue rectangles. Please, Ken, no more.
This was a good issue, but not great. If you're one of those awful people
who hate Steel (bite your tongue!), you'll probably find this one pretty
disappointing.
Me, I'm gonna go mark out some more....
_______________________________________
End of Section 4
_______________________________________
THE TRIANGLE TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
9. ACTION COMICS #762 Feb 1999 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"All I Want for Christmas"
Writer: Jolly Joe Kelly
Pencillers: Gregarious German Garcia and Kano
Inker: Joe the Red-Nosed-Rubinstein
Colorist: Cheery Glenn Whitmore & WildStorm FX
Letterer: Laughing All The Way John Costanza
Assoc. Ed.: Merry Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie "I Want To Be A Dentist" Berganza
Cover: Humberto Ramos, Wayne Faucher, and Liquid
RATINGS
Average: 3.9/5.0 Shields
SDM: 2.5 Shields
EM: 4.7 Shields - Rarely do I feel so entertained by a book that I feel
the need to share it with people who haven't read comics in
years. This is one such issue. I was on the floor laughing. This
is by far the best title since the new creative teams took over!
JB: 4.1 Shields - This was fun. I love Etrigan, and Encantadora is
starting to show more than just her obvious strengths.
JH: 4.5 Shields - It astounds me how Joe Kelly can treat us to such silly
and over-the-top plot and dialogue, yet come out in the end with a
nice tribute to the heart and soul of The Man of Steel. I'm also
glad to see Encantadora continue to appear as often as she does.
JSy: 3.7 Shields - Kelly does a pretty good job of making the Demon speak
in verse, and his characterizations of were very well-written.
That said, I didn't buy that Clark doesn't have *any* inner
demons; the Phantom Zone criminals should *always* haunt him.
SL: 3.8 Shields - Clark's search for a 'normal' gift for Lois is
especially well written, and the interaction with Encantadora
is really beginning to please me.
TD: 4.0 Shields - Considering how uneven Kelly's been to date, this was a
highly pleasant surprise, with great characterization and pacing,
and a portrayal of Encantadora that is so much better than the
last one.
Review by: Simon DelMonte <SDelMonte@aol.com>
Christmastime in Metropolis, and we start with Lois trying to convince
Clark not to buy her any gifts for the holiday. He'll have none of it,
though, as he knows how much Lois loves Christmas, but he does admit that
he can easily go overboard and bring Lois something from the moon. So he
promises to just go shopping at Dacy's. We all know what Christmas shopping
at a department store can be like, though, and even a man of steel is
intimidated.
Naturally, there's more going on than shopping. As Lois ponders making her
too-good husband go to the mall, La Encantadora surfaces, planning her own
shoplifting spree, but not before gazing at the Superman display with a bit
too much lust. Lois doesn't recognize her, but on the other side of the
store, Superman does recognize the demon dressed as Santa: Etrigan. Supes
demands Etrigan leave, Etrigan tells Supes to buzz off, they scuffle
briefly, and Etrigan sends Supes to the moon with one punch to buy himself
time to put his scheme in place. He has no idea of how to make it work,
though, until an angry Encantadora tries to stop him. He spots her mist of
Ibella (which doesn't affect him) and has an idea of how to use it himself.
By the time Supes gets back to Dacy's, Etrigan has used the mist to unleash
everyone's inner demons. This includes Lois being pursued by a mini-me
version of Lex and Encantadora being turned into a child. Etrigan claims,
however, that he's doing all a favor by unleashing their inner fears and
showing them how small they are. His real plan, though, is more sinister;
he's only allowed one day a year to reign over his human host Jason Blood
and wants use the mist to make sure that Blood's 'inner demon' stays out
permanently. Supes sees only one way out, and inhales all the mist. Etrigan
warns that even Supes must have inner demons, but being Superman, his inner
self is a pure-hearted farmer. He swoops through the sky sewing seeds of
hope and good cheer, turning back the tide of evil and defeating the Demon.
Even Etrigan is impressed with Superman's purity and strength of will, but
he promises his vengeance.
The case wrapped up, Supes thanks Encantadora for trying to help, and she
warns him of dark times to come - the Y2K story arc - and tricks him into
giving her his cape. She then makes her escape and has a great gift from
her little brother. All celebrate Christmas with joy save for Etrigan, who
looks on from Hell, wondering if Encantadora is capable of destroying
Superman and knowing what awaits Superman on New Year's Eve.
This story is pretty average. Almost all the ideas here are familiar, and
Kelly uses some better than others. The Superman-as-farmboy idea is getting
a bit old, but I have to admit that he *is* a big farmboy. That he has no
inner demons to unleash, however, is unlikely; he seemed to encounter some
inner demons in the "JLA Meets Hal-Spectre" follow-up to _Day of Judgment_.
Still, he is Superman and somehow we believe he's that perfect.
Clark coping with the Christmas rush, on the other hand, is just silly. I
think we've seen him do Christmas shopping in other stories, but even if we
haven't, seeing a super-hero brought to heel by screaming hordes of
shoppers never makes any sense to me. Lois fighting the Mini-Lex could have
been played up a lot more, but I think it was smart to dispose of this
quickly before it became too silly. I hope that Lois confesses to Clark
about her deal with Lex soon, before the writers run it into the ground.
I don't care much for the Demon and his scheme did nothing for me. He's a
one-note villain, in my opinion, and the "rhyming demon" gag has grown very
stale of late, although Kelly did makes his rhymes a bit more creative than
usual. I'm still undecided about Encantadora, and I don't get why she
changed into a child. I didn't like her origin but I loved her in her
_Action Comics_ debut. I think that if Kelly plays her not as a villain but
as a twisted groupie, she could be quite refreshing. Kelly's strength, from
what I've seen, is humor, and if he uses her to facilitate the humorous
elements in this comic, I think I'm likely to be quite happy. If Kelly
makes her as bloodthirsty as Demon implies she might be, however, I think
I'll lose interest in her and perhaps this series.
The art was so-so, and I have no way of knowing what was done by Garcia
what was done by Kano. My biggest concern is that Lois and Clark looked way
too young for a couple in their mid-30s. On the plus side, Encantadora is
quite striking but also exotic, and Etrigan looked suitably demonic. I
don't feel, though, that Rubinstein is the right inker for Garcia. If
Garcia can be matched with the right inker on a regular basis, he will
serve Kelly and this series well.
As Christmas tales go, this was not the classic that the 1991 "Metropolis
Mailbag" was, but there was enough holiday spirit to keep it from getting
too heavy. Unfortunately, it was still a heavy enough story that in the end
I was left feeling a bit disquieted. This could have been a lot more fun,
and it's not a good sign for the direction Kelly is taking this book that
the fun ride he gave us two months ago seems light-years away.
========================================================
7. SUPERMAN Y2K #1 Feb 2000 $4.95 US/$7.95 CAN
"The End"
Writer: Joe Kelly
Pencils: Butch Guice
Inks: Kevin Conrad, Mark Propst, and Richard Bonk
Colors: Pat Garrahy
Seps: Digital Chameleon
Letters: Clem Robins
Assoc. Ed.: Maureen McTigue
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Special Thanks: Stuart Immonen, Jeph Loeb, Mark Schultz, Ed McGuinness,
and Steve Kim
Cover: Butch Guice with Steve Kim and WildStorm FX
RATINGS
Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields
JB: 3.7 Shields
EM: 3.8 Shields - The first big story-arc begins when Luthor
inadvertently sets up a restructuring of Metropolis by the
future Brainiac, who evolves before our eyes. I guess Jurgens'
version isn't hanging around for too long....
JH: 4.3 Shields - Quite honestly, the best characterization of Lex Luthor
since Roger Stern's days.
JSy: 3.5 Shields - It's funny. The book kept me engrossed from start to
finish, and there were a lot of great character moments, but in
the end I find myself thinking that we didn't see all that much
happen in 70 pages of story.
SDM: 2.5 Shields - A long, expensive muddle with no sense of pacing that
takes some good ideas -- Luthor as Brainiac's target, Y2K fears
filtered through something far worse, and New Year's Eve in
Metropolis -- and slaps them together with a poor attempt to turn
Luthor into an unredeemably evil and loutish villain.
TD: 3.9 Shields - Very, VERY decent kick-off to the first 'new look'
event. Well done both in generating flashbacks to the Luthor clan
and in keeping sight of the fact that the people around Supes are
just as important as the man himself.
Review by: Jeremy Bleichman <krytensrevenge@aol.com>
The Plot:
As Lex Luthor prepares for the New Year's Gala to end all New Year's Galas,
Superman gets ready for a quiet evening in Smallville with his folks.
Not.
Hey, the Millennium only comes around once in a lifetime (even if that once
a lifetime isn't till next year :-) ), and this year, Ma and Pa want to be
where the action is -- smack dab in the middle of Metropolis.
So, while, around the world, every computer system is checked with
LuthorSoft's Y2Kompliance, in Metropolis, Luthor himself counts down the
seconds to 2000, and as the clock reaches 12:00AM...
...nothing bad happens and a good time is had by all. Whew!
Oh, wait, that's what happened in the REAL world. This being the DC
Universe, holy heck breaks loose. The lights go out, planes plummet from
the sky, missiles launch, robots run riot, and Brainiac 2.5 arrives to ring
in the end of the world. Yep, Brainiac WAS LuthorSoft's Y2Kompliance. Like
they say, the cure is sometimes worse than the disease.
And so, while Superman and his buddies in the JLA run around like madmen
trying to contain the chaos, absolute and total bedlam breaks out in
Metropolis. Lois, Perry, Jimmy, Ma, Pa, Lex, et al. are all caught in the
middle, and Brainiac prepares for... something.
Then things get wierd. And kinda confusing.
Brainiac 2.5 is struck by some sort of energy beam, and starts to
spontaneously upgrade himself. Metropolis starts to shimmer, warp, and
transmogrify. And soon, in the midst of a bizarre, futuristic cityscape,
looms...
BRAINIAC 13!
(Does Brainiac 5.1 know about this?)
The Story:
This was a really well done story, although I'm still not sure just what
happened at the end there. I especially enjoyed getting a good look at the
history of the Luthor clan throughout the Millennium. In fact, this book
was full of great Luthor moments. His preparations for the gala (no potato
puffs? He IS evil ;-) ), his choices of "year-end bonuses", his broken
promises to his staff, his vow to his daughter... it's clear that Luthor is
the real star of this tale. My favorite moment comes on page 25, where
Luthor dines with the rich and influential, and ticks off the ways in which
he controls each and every one of them.
Which brings me to my major problem with the story. With all the emphasis
on Luthor, Superman comes up short. Mostly, he serves as a contrast to
Luthor. While Lex prepares for the most lavish celebration anyone can
imagine, Superman yearns to spend a simple night at home with his loved
ones. When all holy heck finally does break loose, the action centers
mainly around Luthor and Brainiac, mot Superman. Not only that, but
Superman has to share the spotlight with Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter,
and for some reason, the Metal Men.
(Is anybody else sick of seeing the Metal Men in every single crossover?
And why is it that the Metal Men somehow manage to escape Brainiac's
control, while Hourman (who is 830 centuries more advanced than anything
available today) and Red Tornado (who has an actual human soul) fall
victim? Plot hole! Big, fat plot hole!)
Okay, enough nitpicking. A few quibbles aside, Joe Kelly is shaping up to
be my favorite of the Super-writers. I especially like his love of that
great comic-book mainstay: the royal feebasaurus. This months loser is El
Piton, a mind-controlling Mexican pro-wrestler with delusions of both
grandeur and competence. I just love this stuff.
Art:
Yay! Butch Guice is drawing a Super-book again! Guice is a master of
perspective and shadowing. He's also terrifically inventive; check out
Brainiac's spideroid warbots; the huge army of Brainiac-loyal robots;
Martian Manhunter's multi-armed, multi-eyed, and multi-eared "coordinator"
form; and Brainiac's "upgrade" sequence. He draws Good expressions, too;
take a look at Brainiac's mirthless grin on page 49, Lois's sheer terror on
58, or the thinly veiled looks of contempt on the faces of Luthor's dinner
guests on 25.
Pat Garrahy's colors are really well chosen; the washed-out colors in the
historical sequences, the muted tones in the night scenes, the electrical
effects, the CGI moon, earth, and starry skies. My two favorite effects in
this issue are the windowpane effects on page 23-24, which feature some of
the most realistic shadowing effects I've ever seen, and the mind-blowing
3D version of Brainiac 13 on the final page. This last one's a work of art
in itself, with a realistic glowpanel on its forehead, marbled texture on
its knuckles, and the circuit patterns etched into its face.
Final analysis:
Great characterization and outstanding art and coloring, marred by a
somewhat confusing plot and a distinct lack of Super-Action.
Quote of the month: "I end this millennium surrounded by people who either
owe me or loathe me or both... It doesn't get any better than this." -- Lex
Luthor.
____________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES:
-------------------
SUPERBOY #71 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Prisoners of the Project"
Writer: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Tom Grummett
Inks: Keith Champagne
Colors: Buzz Setzer
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 2.8/5.0 Shields
RG: 2.5 Shields
EM: 3.0 Shields - Ok, it was mildly amusing, but... Clones and Hypertime
and Hypertime and Clones... it's time to move on.
JSy: 3.8 Shields - Kesel gives us loads of action without resorting to
page upon page of rough-housing, and the characters are all
portrayed beautifully.
SDM: 3.3 Shields - While I don't care for the underlying plot of The
Agenda, this part of the "Evil Factory" story was carried by
strong character play, great art, and good action. I also liked
the way the others reacted to Guardian's "death."
SL: 1.5 Shields - A really boring episode. The death of Guardian is
emotionless, and we don't believe it for a second. I'm beginning
to get tired by the Superboy' title; I prefer him in _Young
Justice_. The only positive thing: the Contessa.
ST: 2.4 Shields - Not much enjoyment here. Exposition-laden dialogue, a
totally unbelievable 'death' scene... oh yeah. and Hex. Wheee.
I can't believe we're only at part 2; this is dragging so badly.
Grummett's art is all that's floating this title right now.
Review by: Rene Gobeyn <rgobeyn1@rochester.rr.com>
Superboy, Guardian, Mickey, and Serling have all been taken prisoner by
Mokkari and Simyan under the command of Amanda Spence and The Agenda.
Superboy (who had been warned by Dubbilex) breaks them all free, but they
are discovered while trying to escape and the entire complex (literally)
turns out to try to recapture them. Meanwhile, Dabney Donovan has turned up
and offers his services to Amanda. She accepts, and puts him to work in
Area X.
Our heroes are trying to escape through the service passages when insects
attack them. Superboy manages to get Mickey and Serling to safety, and is
on his way back for Guardian when he finds that Guardian is dead. Unable to
take him with them they continue their escape only to find their way
blocked by a trapdoor and fire.
Superboy finally figures out that each time they are attacked it is by the
very thing they were just talking about. He decides to jump into the fire
to prove his point. (This one lost me.) When he dies, things seem to short
circuit, and all of them (yeah, Guardian too) wake up the chamber they were
being held in before they tried to escape. As they leave to try again, they
run into a rescue party of Hex, Grokk (the living Gargoyle), Charlie and
Krypto.
If you are not a regular reader of this title, this one might not be for
you. Some old characters that haven't been seen for some time show up, and
are not given much of an introduction. Otherwise, you shouldn't have too
much trouble.
On the whole this is a good, but not great story. It offers little new
characterization and is mostly one long fight scene. While it is tightly
plotted and internally consistent, I missed the glimpses we often get of
the other supporting cast members, and the hints of upcoming stories. Nor
did it really do much to advance the current story line; very little really
changes in the book. Sure, we find out that Dubbilex is not as deeply under
the spell of the Gene-gnome as we might have thought, but other than that,
nothing really happens until the last page. I got the feeling that this was
a fill-in story in the middle of another larger story.
Art-wise I had nothing to complain about. The Jack Kirby style compliments
Superboy and his supporting cast. Kesel and Grummett are doing more to
update and integrate Jack's wonderful worlds and hidden civilizations into
the current DCU than anyone else has managed to do in years. Jack would be
proud.
[ This is Rene's last review on this title, and indeed for the Kryptonian
Cybernet for a while, as he turns his attention to some real-life
priorities. Rene has been reviewing _Superboy_ for KC since issue #37,
and has had at least one review in every issue of the Cybernet since its
inception almost six years ago. Thanks for everything, Rene, and hope to
see you back real soon. -- Shane and Jeff ]
========================================================
SUPERGIRL #41 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Ember After"
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Robin Riggs
Colorist: Gene D'Angelo
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Cover: Leonard Kirk, Robin Riggs, and Patrick Martin
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
TD: 3.8 Shields
EM: 4.5 Shields - This was a very nice ending to the mystery of who Ember
is/was and why Satan Girl feels motivated to destroy Supergirl.
JB: 3.6 Shields
JSy: 3.9 Shields - Even better than usual interior art, and PAD gives us
another wonderful story which focuses more on the intellectual
and psychological aspects than on the physical. Shame on me,
though, for not realizing earlier what Rachel's full role was in
Ember's story.
SL: 2.8 Shields - I really love the story-telling of Leonard Kirk:
Hyper-classical but very efficient. Otherwise, the dialogues are
too flat, the story too thin, and the boredom too pervasive.
Review by: Thomas Deja <blackair@gis.net>
A few weeks ago, Warren Ellis said in his column for Comic Book Resources
(http://www.comicbookresources.com) that he thinks it's a shame that Peter
David is using his inventiveness for a book like _Supergirl_.
I point this out not necessarily because I agree with Warren, but because
you can understand why he says it after reading an issue like this.In an
issue like this, you realize how subversive _Supergirl_ has been at times,
and wish you could see more of it.
Unlike other super-hero comics which wave the banner of tolerance and
understanding while more often than not regressing into people pounding
each other over the head, David's version of the Maid of Might actually
achieves her biggest successes through empathy and compassion, and seems to
be on shaky ground when she goes the usual super-hero path of stylized
violence. Here, in the Silver Banshee arc, in her continuing conflict with
Twilight, Linda finds a non-violent way to triumph, and to have that
message set out in a mainstream super hero comic is pretty amazing.
In this issue, Supergirl has inadvertently switched minds with her
predecessor, the Earth-Born Fire Angel named Ember. While we witness
Ember's last days as a human through Linda's eyes, learning that the slave
was a willing adulterer and participant in satanic rituals with her owner's
wife, we see Ember in Supergirl's body striking up a deal with the owner's
wife, now the ridiculously monikered Satan Girl. The bargain is simple:
Satan Girl asks Ember to do nothing and allow Supergirl to take her place
on the stake that killed her, thus breaking the cycle that ended in the
Earth-Born's fall. What Satan Girl gets out of this might not be clear on
the surface, as her daughter (the pure of heart individual who makes up
half of an Earth Born's components) will still die in the funeral pyre.
But when you realize the redheaded harridan had made a deal with 'the
Carnivorous' to obtain her infernal powers, it makes much more sense.
The mind-switch is a standard of super-hero comic, and the standard
response by a superhero is to trick or fight his or her way out. Not so
with the David-written Supergirl; after Tammy Neil assures that Satan Girl
is prevented from interfering, Ember and Supergirl confront each other
across time. Ember confesses her fear of returning and ultimately finding
herself thrown into the abyss -- and Supergirl tells her that she will not
beg for her predecessor to return; that she will trust in the woman to do
what's right. While I won't give away the ending, it does seemto say
something about David's view of redemption.
This is a very strong story. The thing I appreciated the most is how David
kept his characters dressed in different shades of gray. Ember turns out to
be less than exemplary, mocking one character with facts about their affair
and never denying her dabbling in Satanism. Satan Girl may be a sadistic
freak (scarring Mattie in a particularly offhanded way), but her motivation
stems from her love for her daughter and the child's ultimate fate.
It's getting tiresome saying that Kirk and Riggs do an exemplary job yet
again. They manage to do a very interesting composition leading into the
initial revelation of the mind switch, and a truly beautiful composition on
page 16 depicting Ember and Supergirl interfacing, but otherwise it's
business as usual for the. Fortunately for us, 'business as usual' means
above average stuff.
"Ember After" is a very well-done example of the sort of thing David should
be skewing towards, an examination of motivations rather than a laugh fest.
As we speed towards the end of the fourth year of this book, I hope David
remembers that. He has the artists to pull it off, and he has the talent;
what he needs is the desire.
_______________________________________
End of Section 5
_______________________________________
SUPER-FAMILY TITLES (cont):
--------------------------
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #40 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"Old Wounds"
Plot: Ty Templeton and Dan Slott
Script: Ty Templeton
Penciller: Neil Vokes
Inker: Terry Austin
Letterer: Phil Felix
Colorist: Marie Severin (who doesn't get enough credit for the
great job she does on this book month in and month out,
and I feel bad for not mentioning that often enough)
Separations: Zylonol
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Mike Manley, Terry Austin, Marie Severin, and Zylonol
RATINGS
Average: 2.6/5.0 Shields
CoS: 2.5 Shields
JSy: 2.5 Shields - Explaining one of the problems Krypto would pose with
today's Superman mythos (i.e., no super-intelligence) was a good
idea, but I found it too much of a stretch to believe that Supes
would feel as great a loss as he appears to at the end of the
story.
SL: 3.0 Shields - A sympathetic story. The return of Krypto is very well
handled and Mxyzptlk's punishment is pure fun.
ST: 2.5 Shields - An interesting piece of fluff, but little more. The
pacing seems off, and the emotions don't quite ring true. Only
the ending saves the book from a lower mark.
Review by: Cory Strode <Solitaire.Rose@worldnet.att.net>
<Cory!! Strode, the Best Dressed Man In Comics comes into his local comic
shop and sits down on one of the couches. On the TV screen are the
wrasslin' matches from the night before. On the couch next to him is his
friend and the store's owner, Joe. There are toys, books, comics all about
the store and a small parade of children coming in to be told that they are
still sold out of Pokemon cards. >
Cory: *sigh*
<Joe keeps watching the Rock laying the smack down on Al Snow. Cory looks
exasperated.>
Cory: I said *SIGH*
Joe: What is it this time Cory, J. Peterman still out of business? Pop
machine out of Cherry Coke? You actually thought a new issue of Danger Girl
might be in?
Cory: No, I'm not that naive. I was just having to write a review of the
latest issue of Superman Adventures and I just don't seem to have the
energy or will power to plow through the issue again.
Joe: You like writing reviews. You can't wait to come into the shop every
week and tell me what's wrong with the comics you bought the week before.
Well, except for Mage;t you get this goofy smile on your face when a new
issue of that comes in.
Cory: That's because its the greatest comic being printed.
Fanboy in the back of the store: No it isn't. There's no X-Men in it!
<Cory throws the nearest heavy object as hard as he can in the direction of
the voice. When he hears a satisfying cry of pain, he settles back down and
sighs again.>
Joe: Three sighs? That's not good. You haven't sighed that many times since
First went out of business. Is the current issue that bad?
Cory: No. It's not that it's bad, it's just...
Joe: An abomination? Worse than having your eyes gouged out with steel
needles? Unworthy of being used for kindling for your "John Byrne's
Spider-Man" Bonfire?
Cory: No. That's just it. It isn't horrible. It's just bland. First off, I
have to get this off my chest. I am sick to death of Mr. Mxyzptlk. I know
that in the stories he can only come to Earth every 3 months, but in the
comic it seems like he shows up in every third comic to drive that point
home. He's like any opponent, he's fun when he's used once in a while, but
now, I don't even want to see a good story with him, let another a bland
time travel story.
This issue starts up with Mxy watching Superman while the Tribunal in his
home dimension has put him on Parole and ordered him not to bother Superman
anymore. Mxy, however, has decided that he can get out of that parole by
doing a good deed for Superman. Does he use his power to get rid of
Kryptonite? No. Expose Lex Luthor for the criminal he is? No. Make it so
every copy of every Adam Sandler movie is unable to be shown on TV? No. He
goes back to before Krypton exploded and gets Kal-el's dog and brings him
to Clark in the present time as an abandoned pet.
Being a Kryptonian dog (and going by the name Krypto... much like how
children on Earth name their pets Eartho) he develops powers rather
rapidly, and doing the kind of things puppies usually do therefore causes
more trouble than some torn pillows and ratted up blankets; it causes
massive destruction all around Metropolis that Superman is always one step
behind in stopping. Eventually, Superman is able to take the puppy out into
space where it passes out from lack of oxygen so that Superman can figure
out what to do with him.
<Cory frowns and scowls, much like he does when people he know ask for
domestic beer instead of a good Guinness.>
Joe: What's wrong with that? It seems like an inventive way to subdue the
puppy.
Cory: The whole sequence of having to subdue the puppy seems wrong. Sure,
they say that Krypto was having trouble dealing with his super-senses, but
there is no way the puppy should be SO strong that Superman has any trouble
with him. I can pick up a puppy and keep it from causing trouble, why
shouldn't Superman be able to do the same thing to a puppy with equivalent
powers? The idea of the puppy being one step ahead and Superman cleaning up
the mess while keeping people safe worked until that sequence. It felt like
overkill.
Anyway, as Superman is trying to figure out what to do with the puppy, Mxy
shows up, explains what he did and sends the puppy back in time to Krypton.
Mxy asks Superman is, now that he's done a good deed, if Supes will testify
on his behalf in front of the council. Superman is mad, not just at the
destruction, but that Mxy sent the dog back to be killed in the destruction
of Krypton. So, instead of getting his freedom, Mxy is sentenced to the
oh-so-ironic punishment of being a fire hydrant for 90 days because he
pestered Superman again.
Joe: It doesn't sound that bad when you tell me about it, and no one has
dropped the book from their pull list. Then again, not many people have the
book *on* their pull list -- just kids and guys over 40 who say that they
hate the Superman comics, but like Superman.
Cory: I know, but the book just felt like a whole lot of nothing. First, I
hate time travel stories where everything is fixed at the end as if nothing
happened. Then, they try to inject some pathos in the story by making
Superman feel bad about his dog dying in Krypton's explosion. This is a
Superman who doesn't mope around endlessly about the destruction of Krypton
(which is a very good thing in my mind), but we hammered with the pathos of
not just everyone he's related to dying, but also his pet puppy. It feels
ladled on a bit thick. And you know how I complain about pointless fight
scenes? The whole middle of the comic is rushing from one puppy created
disaster to another. I wouldn't have minded a little humor in the
destruction, like him tearing apart a pet food store to get Milk Bones, or
getting frustrated at the fact that all the puppy toys he tries to play
with, he shreds, but it was just buildings smashed and such.
<Joe starts flipping through the comic>
Joe: The art is good though. This Neil Vokes guy does a good Superman, and
the Clark Kent stuff is very good. I also like how he draws Kal-el as a
kid.
Cory: Vokes always does a good job on the book, and my big complaint about
how his characters who aren't based on animation characters don't seem to
fit is a thing of the past. Everyone in the book looks as if they are in
the same world, and he gives the story a lot of flow. In fact, the only
complaint I would have with the art is that he's so good at pulling the
reader through the story that you get done reading it in a just a few
minutes, making a story that's already a trifle blow by so quickly that you
really have paid too much for the amount of time it takes to read.
Joe: So it sucked.
Cory: No. It was just there. I read the story when I first got it, and when
I sat down to write the review, and was rereading it, I discovered that I'd
forgotten most of the story. Almost as if the whole issue was
biodegradable. It's not bad, but it's not good either. Back when I started
reading comics....
<Joe looks at Cory's hair, easily the best hair in the Twin Cities of
Minneapolis and St. Paul.>
Cory: What?
Joe: Just making sure you have enough gray hair to use the phrase, "When I
was a kid..." You do. Go on.
Cory: Fine. <glares at Joe> Back when comics were cheaper, I wouldn't have
minded a trifle like this. Comics were disposable entertainment. Now, when
they are $2 a pop, I feel like I should be getting more than five minutes
of bland diversion. Most of the time, this comic does that, but this
time...
Joe: So your review would be...?
Cory: I guess I'm not recommending it. It's an issue you could pass by on
the stands and not miss it. 2 and 1/2 shields and only for completists,
people who haven't got enough of Mxyzptlk, or people who collect stories
about mad dogs.
Joe: Like that Cujo book.
Cory: Cujo? Now that would be cool. Maybe they could do a story where
Superman fights a super-powered dog with rabies. It'd be better than the
Millennium Giants.
Joe: Getting hit in the head with a shovel would be better than reading a
story about the Millennium Giants.
<And speaking of people getting hit in the head with shovels, they go back
to watching Wrasslin while Cory tries to figure out how he'll get his
review written this month.>
____________________________________
TEAM TITLES:
-----------
JLA #38 Feb 2000 $1.99 US/$3.25 CAN
"World War Three: Part Three"
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Howard Porter
Inker: John Dell
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Pat Garrahy
Separator: Heroic Age
Assoc. Ed.: Tony Bedard
Editor: Dan Raspler
Cover: Howard Porter, John Dell, and David Smith
RATINGS
Average: 3.7/5.0 Shields
EM: 3.3 Shields
DWk: 4.3 Shields - Morrison keeps the chaos barely controlled but uses it
as an excuse to stuff in as much character business as he can get
away with: Superman's empathy for his enemy, Luthor's fuming pride
and will, Batman's terrifying strategic brilliance.
JB: 3.9 Shields - Confusing, but fun. Shaping up to be the best arc since
"One Million"
JSy: 3.8 Shields - This tale must have been Morrison's grand design for
the book, because it's being told better than anything he's done
in the last two years. "First time I ever hit a man with motor
neuron disease." Heh. :)
SL: 2.0 Shields - Bang, Boom, Splash!! ... but where's the story?
Apart from the very beautiful double-spread page of Batman and
Prometheus there's nothing memorable here.
TD: 4.2 Shields - The best chapter so far, with lots of great moments:
Batman's use of the name "Stephen J. Hawking", Aquaman behaving
like a king in the face of adversity and -- best of all -- Plastic
Man revealing he's only been *playing* idiot all along.
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
Luthor is being controlled by a giant eyeball, Batman and Prometheus have a
rematch, Oracle meets Metron, Superman is still going at it with the
General, and Mister Miracle assembles every member of the JLA past, present
and future. Mageddon destroys the Watchtower and there's possibly a
pointless death or two. Wacky hi-jinks ensue.
Review:
Last month I referred to "World War Three" as a five-part story arc. This
was not a typographical error on my part. This month, the cover says that
we are reading part 3 of 6, and before I continue I should let the reader
know that it may get longer yet, becoming a 7-parter, or a 6-part arc with
a double-sized final issue -- or so it has been rumored by my comic shop
owner. As with previous JLA story arcs under Morrison, many ideas and
sub-plots are thrown at the reader at once. This time, it looks like they
are being given enough screen time to warrant their inclusion. Regardless,
part three is not as good as was part two.
We get it. It's the end of the world. While every issue of a comic book is
somebody's first, the front cover indicates that this is part 3. We may not
need another reminder from a desperate TV anchor. While I must admit to
grinning at the resolution of the Batman vs. Prometheus battle, some of
this is just overwritten and a bit drawn out, while other parts of the book
have hopefully only been set up for more exposition next issue.
Key example: I own a Zauriel action figure. There, I admit it. I like the
angel. That the angel may be dead is by no means a surprise, but this
particular method of killing him seemed utterly pointless. Explain to me,
which part of Martian Manhunter's statement, "Evacuate the Watchtower. It's
here." was vague? And Zauriel was standing next to Martian Manhunter when
he spoke the warning, so it's not like he didn't hear it! I'm sure this
will be elaborated upon, as it is the cliffhanger, but for now, it grates.
One panel. No reasoning. Yes, set-up is fine, but this makes little sense.
Oh, Aztek stumbles in to Mister Miracle's JLA-fest not looking so great,
because he's encountered Mageddon -- off-panel.
So far, even though the villains have succeeded, the only one that looks
fairly competent is the Queen Bee. Luthor was under the influence of an
evil eyeball, Prometheus is a fairly bad chess player for a criminal
mastermind, and the General is, well, in limbo. The eyeballs seem to be all
over the world causing the many nations to go to war.
Overall, this part of the story arc ties up some of the sub-plots that were
left over from last month, but a great many new sub-plots have sprung up in
their place. I hope this chapter reads better after part four comes out.
Art:
I'm confused. The art is very enjoyable, more so than the story this month.
From Batman knocking Prometheus down a few pegs to Plastic Man of the New
Gods, the art team comes through again. Have they improved or have I gotten
used to Porter and Dell? They must have improved, because there are still a
few panels where Superman looks too stiff.
Conclusion:
This issue is heavily dependent on the previous issues, and even if you've
read them, it's still a bit confusing. This is by far the weakest issue of
the story arc to date. With the ride expanding (from 2 of 5 to 3 of 6 to
who knows?), you may wish to continue if you have been collecting all
along; otherwise, heed my advice from last month and wait for the trade
paperback, then read it in one sitting.
========================================================
YOUNG JUSTICE #17 Feb 2000 $2.50 US/$3.95 CAN
"Stuff Blows Up"
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Todd Nauck
Inks: Lary Stucker
Colors: Jason Wright
Separations: Digital Chameleon
Letters: Ken Lopez
Assoc. Edits: Maureen McTigue
Just Edits: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Nauck and Stucker
RATINGS
Average: 4.0/5.0 Shields
EM: 4.0 Shields
GC: 4.1 Shields - The Old Justice sub-story is the only thing that took
away from this issue as it had good character development of the
"Big" three and more about Secret. Good humour and action with our
young heros, and a fun cover makes this a good read.
GD: 4.5 Shields - Yippee! The more manic elements that make YJ so great
return without sacrificing the interesting sub plots. PAD really
pulls off the unlikely duo of Robin and Impulse.
JSy: 3.2 Shields - This was one of the most ridiculously juvenile covers
I've ever seen. The story itself had wonderful characterization,
save for one person. I sincerely hope that PAD has some revelation
planned for down the line, because right now this kid wearing the
"S" is *not* acting like the Superboy we've been reading about.
SL: 3.6 Shields - The tension between Superboy and Robin is wonderful,
and I like the always laughable Impulse. The art is sometimes a
bit too simplistic and I don't like the Old Justice but overall a
good read. I miss Arrowette already...
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
The team goes on a recon mission to save Secret, who is being held by the
DEO at their secret facility in Mt. Rushmore. Superboy questions Robin's
assumed role as team leader and makes some questionable leadership moves
himself. We get some insight as to why Red Tornado was dealt with in the
manner he was by the judge many issues ago. Oh, Arrowette decides to not be
Arrowette anymore and the YJers manage to destroy Washington's nose on Mt.
Rushmore. Wacky hi-jinks ensue.
Review:
Despite of the usual dose of forced pop culture references (cf. Impulse's
"What would Brian Boitano do?" line), PAD produces another enjoyable read
that tackles topics appropriate to a team of teen superheroes. Trust issues
abound: Red Tornado is not trusted by Robin or the other team members,
Superboy questions Robin's judgement, Robin questions Superboy's actions,
and there is nothing to trust about Old Justice.
Cissie appears to leave the group for now, and Superboy is acting more
bone-headed than usual; he makes a power move for the leadership slot at
the wrong time. Also, a Superboy/Wonder Girl love interest seems to be
developing. [1]
Even throwaway characters develop some depth under PAD. The judge that
tried to take away Red Tornado's custody rights for Traya turns out to been
blackmailed by none other than Old Justice's Merry, Girl of 1,000 Gimmicks,
whose motivation is underlined beautifully during a chat with the judge.
Agent Fite (sans his partner Madd) shows a very human reaction to the
scientists and their prodding of Secret, even if he does act out of fear
for what Secret is and not compassion. As for 'what Secret is'... this
continues to be hinted at but not overtly stated.
All this action occurs while we get a bit of characterization to top it
off. When I read the first few issues of Young Justice, I wasn't sure if it
was going to be my cup of tea since it looked like the characters of Robin,
Superboy and Impulse were being done all wrong. Now I'm glad to have given
the book a chance, because not only are the characters dead-on, but I can
also understand why they might act a little differently among peers.
Furthermore, unlike its parent title JLA, sub-plots are smoothly integrated
and introduced.
Art:
I don't have much to add about the art this month, because it is
consistent. The layouts are logical and the pencils clean. I really liked
the art in the Merry/Judge pages, though. You wouldn't think that a page of
dialog would be artistically of interest, but the look on Merry's face
coupled with that last panel did more for me than the 2-page pin-up of
Batman hitting Prometheus in the JLA title this month.
Conclusion:
"Junior Justice League Defaces National Shrine" should say it all. This was
an enjoyable issue if you like reading a superhero team book with a dash of
humor thrown in for good measure.
[1] The root of this love interest was explored in Wonder Woman #153 in a
Wonder Girl solo story by Mark Millar.
_______________________________________
End of Section 6
_______________________________________
SPECIALS:
--------
JLA: EARTH 2 Feb 2000 $24.95 US/$38.00 CAN
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Color & Separations: Laura Depuy and Wildstorm FX
Assoc. Ed.: Tony Bedard
Editor: Dan Raspler
Design Director: Georg Brewer
RATINGS
Average: 4.3/5.0 Shields
EM: 4.6 Shields
DWk: 4.5 Shields - Morrison blasting away on all cylinders, pulling off a
Broome/Fox-style story with a great turn-of-the-millennium moral
twist in its resolution. This feels like a wild, rollicking
adventure movie, and it flies as fast as it has to.
JB: 4.8 Shields - The coolest JLA story I've ever seen, with more twists
and turns than a pretzel factory. So good, in fact, that I almost
missed the fact that Quitely couldn't draw a woman if his life
depended on it.
JSy: 4.0 Shields - The book presents a message of inevitability and, to
some extent, amorality, that I found to be a bit depressing. Thus,
despite that the art and the storytelling were both exceptional, I
just didn't enjoy the book as much as I would have liked.
SDM: 2.9 Shields - Not worth $25. At $10, it would have been reasonably
entertaining, if a bit troubling philosophically. A standard
Morrison JLA tale, with good characterization, a too-perfect
Batman, and a feeling that Grant isn't taking this seriously.
Review by: Edward Mathews <em11@is3.nyu.edu>
Synopsis:
Alexander Luthor is trying to protect his world from the evil Crime
Syndicate of Amerika: Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick and Power
Ring. His world exists in the anti-matter universe where everything is
reversed. When Luthor manages to make it to our earth, he seeks out the
help of the JLA to help him clean up his world with unintended
consequences. Wacky hi-jinks ensue.
Review:
It's been a while. I really like the work of Grant Morrison, but his recent
work in the regular JLA title has only been 'good' at best. This book
highlights that fact, as Morrison displays great moments of brilliance with
a very tightly plotted and well-presented story of the JLA's first meeting
with the Crime Syndicate of Amerika in post-Crisis continuity. For those of
you who remember the CSA, they were the evil counterparts of the JLA on
Earth-3 where everything was reversed: good was evil and evil was the
status quo. This idea has been reintroduced by having the other earth exist
in the anti-matter universe.
On this anti-matter earth, the planet rotates and orbits in the opposite
direction that our earth does. Almost in keeping with this theme, this
story is not a JLA story. This is the tale of the Crime Syndicate of
Amerika and for one 96-page book, Morrison and Quitely really make you feel
like you know who these characters are and what makes them tick. It is an
Alexander Luthor story -- a story of how his effort to contact the JLA
could only meet with failure. It is a story where the main mythos used and
reinterpreted is the Superman mythos, from the anti-Kryptonite used to
power Ultraman to the revelation that Superwoman's secret identity is the
anti-matter earth's Lois Lane. The main architect of the entire situation
is also an anti-matter version of a classic Superman villain.
Morrison shows here how gifted he can be when focused on the story, as this
is a tightly plotted book. Yes, we see the counter-parts to Green Lantern
and Flash, but we don't need to know everything about them and that story
is reserved for another day. Little touches, such as how even a 'good'
Luthor is arrogant enough to name the positive matter universe's
counterpart to his home world "Earth-2" are enough to draw out a smile when
reading. There are no loose ends and the resolution is a satisfying one for
the reader. The only criticism to lie at his feet is that this is how his
grand JLA story-arcs should have been presented.
Art:
The book is visually stunning. Frank Quitely adds so much to the
storytelling here that I long to see how the first 38 issues of the regular
_JLA_ series could have been with someone of his caliber on the book. The
only problem is that Quitely's women, both Wonder Woman and Superwoman, are
rather butch. This can be overlooked as an interpretation of the Amazons,
but it is one I don't personally care for. The little touches, from the
Benedict Arnold one-dollar bills to the smoking advertisements on
anti-matter earth, make this a fun book to go back after reading it and
re-examine the panels. The items mentioned above under Morrison work even
better when coupled with a gifted artist, and Quitely adds so much to a
scene with the expressions he draws on the faces of the characters.
Conclusion:
The cover of the book is really nice, and the production values are
top-notch. The only deterrent to most readers is the high price. This,
however, is probably a good way to keep it out of the hands of some younger
readers since there are some rather adult situations portrayed in this
book. (Johnny Quick is a drug user and there is some interesting sexual
tension between the CSA members.) Still, if you cannot wait for a TPB
version of this book, you won't be disappointed.
========================================================
SUPERMAN: END OF THE CENTURY Feb 2000 $24.95 US/$38.00 CAN
Story, Pencils, & Painted Art: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Letters: Bill Oakley
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Design Director: Georg Brewer
RATINGS
Average: 3.6/5.0 Shields
JSy: 3.5 Shields - A reasonably good story with fabulous artwork, though
the story, which is *not* marked as an Elseworlds tale, is marred
by a failure to heed continuity. My rating, by the way, does not
take into account the book's price.
DWk: 3.0 Shields - Immonen's the best "regular" Superman artist since
Curt Swan, and this is awfully nice to look at, but this mishmash
of melodramatic clichM-is and quasi-mysticism is nothing that
couldn't have been four triangle comics for a third the price.
SL: 4.4 Shields - A jewel. The fight between the Contessa and Luthor is
very interesting, and I really like to see someone who is Lex's
equal for evil. Immonen's story and painted art were near-perfect;
only page 8 is horrible. I don't really think that the format
choice is best this time, but the story was still entertaining.
Reviewed by Jeff Sykes <sykes@kryptonian-cybernet.com>
Synopsis:
_Superman: End of the Century_ is an amalgam of several plotlines which all
merge in the final pages of the book to produce an explosive conclusion.
The most prominent aspect of the story is the history of the Contessa Erica
del Portenza, ex-wife of Lex Luthor, including the revelation that she is
an immortal.
In the early 1800s, the Contessa gave birth to a half-immortal son, Luca. A
few years later, the child's father gave him to an Italian group called the
Carbonari in exchange for the prosperity that they had given to him and his
family, even though their intention was to take the child's immortality for
their own. The procedure was a failure, but the child seemed to inherit an
evil as a result, and he slowly grew into a monster with no regard for
human life. After years of watching him satisfy his bloodlust as a
mercenary, the Contessa eventually arranged to have Luca captured and
entombed on an isolated island, where he could do no further damage to
society.
In the present day, Metropolis is eagerly anticipating the arrival of the
year 2000, but Luthor finds his company the target of a series of arson
fires. Ultimately, the Contessa is responsible for these fires, as she
intends to use them as leverage towards regaining their daughter, Lena.
Meanwhile, a Caribbean salvage operation funded by Luthor has discovered
the wreckage of a ship, the one on which the Contessa was a passenger
immediately after capturing her son. The salvage from the shipwreck also
leads to the discovery of Luca's body, which was encased in a tomb of ice,
and Luthor brings the young man back to Metropolis to awaken as part of his
millennium festivities.
When the Contessa learns of this intention, she decides that she must take
her own son's life, to prevent him from once again preying upon mankind,
but her actions are interrupted by Luthor and Superman, eventually leading
to Luca's being loosed upon Metropolis. While the clock ticks down towards
midnight, Superman discovers that his powers somehow wane in the presence
of Luca, which makes it nigh impossible for the Man of Steel to prevent the
immortal's rampage. In the end, only the Contessa is able to resolve the
situation, using mystical means to stop her son and rescue her daughter
from a dark figure from Erica and Luca's past.
Art:
There are three distinct components to the artwork in this book. First, the
majority of the book is traditional pencil and ink comic book art by Stuart
Immonen and Jose Marzan, Jr. If you like Immonen's style as much as I do,
then you will find this to be some of his best work to date. I was
especially impressed with the expressiveness of his characters, whose
facial expressions wonderfully illustrated the true nature of each
character. The coloring is also gorgeous, especially in the last few pages
of the book. Minutes before midnight, Metropolis is bathed in the darkness
of the night, but the various coloring schemes distinguish an array of
light sources ranging from electric street lamps to the mystical flames
that engulf Luca.
The Contessa's history is told in flashback sequences, each painted by
Immonen in kind of a colorized black and white. (Forgive me for not knowing
the technical terminology.) The paintings feel antique -- the colors evoke
the photography of the Civil War/Old West eras of U.S. history. I won't say
that the painted art compares to the work of Alex Ross, but I think it
serves its purpose very well in this story. The flashback sequences just
would not have had the same impact if rendered in pencil and ink.
The final component to the artwork is an interesting experiment in which
photographic elements have been added to the corners of certain pages of
the story. In some cases, these elements add a little information to the
tale, such as a note Superman scribbles to Lois on her notepad on page 10
and a discarded newspaper on page 38. Others don't seem (to me, anyway) to
add anything to the story, but instead provide further visual detail of
items appearing elsewhere on the page. Either way, they provide a
distinctive visual element to the book.
Story:
For the most part, this is a character-driven story, with most of the book
focusing on the development, history, and personalities of the players. The
few action sequences are quick and efficient, and they serve to advance the
story (as opposed to the sometimes mindless and pointless battles we have
occasionally seen in the monthly titles). The tale is quite engaging, but
the absence of an Elseworlds label on the book suggests that it is intended
to fall within current Superman continuity. This results in a few
contradictory points which damage the story.
The most obvious problem is that this is now the third story published by
DC to take place at the dawn of the year 2000. This wouldn't necessarily be
a problem except for the fact that it is impossible for each to have
happened within a single continuity. For those who haven't yet read the
titles in question, I will simply point out that Lex Luthor appears in
Gotham City at the conclusion of "No Man's Land" and in Metropolis in both
_Superman Y2K_ and _End of the Century_. While I can't comment first-hand
about the events in the Batman titles, I can say that both of the
Metropolis-centered stories involve Lex and Lena and the stroke of
midnight, and with completely different chains of events.
While we're on the topic of New Year's Eve, I have to point out that
Immonen explicitly and incorrectly refers to the year 1999 as the end of
the 20th Century. And this immediately following my diatribe last month, in
which I suggested that most people weren't actually making that erroneous
claim. As a mathematician, I guess it kind of bugs me that there are
seemingly well-researched references to Pythagoras and Euclid, but they
can't get simple arithmetic correct.
What I found the most problematic about this book, however, was the
characterization of the Contessa. We know from other sources (particularly,
the Girlfrenzy _Lois Lane_ special and recent issues of _Superboy_) that
the Contessa is the head of the organization known as The Agenda, and that
she is using that organization to construct a genetically superior army.
Yet in this book, she attempts to teach her son that "as observers, it was
our role to remain outside the sphere of humankind's achievements and
folly." She spends the entire book anguishing over her son's lack of
respect for life, horrified by each of his terrible and escalating actions.
She is even prepared to take her own son's life to protect humanity from
his evil. I have an incredibly hard time reconciling the portrayal of the
woman in this story with the one currently running the Agenda.
Overall:
It's obvious that Immonen put a lot of time and effort into this book. It
is a beautifully illustrated and, except for the continuity discrepancies,
well-told story. However, if DC's going to sell such a high-priced book as
part of the regular continuity, then they owe it to their readers to make
certain that the story actually *fits* within regular continuity. For that
reason, I have a difficult time recommending the hardcover edition of this
book. Readers should probably wait until the softcover edition that I
assume DC will be publishing.
____________________________________
THE MAILBAG
-------------------------------------
(mailbag@kryptonian-cybernet.com)
KC Responses are indented and begun with ****
============================================
From: Justin <justin@wfcomics.com>
In regards to your [most recent "Web of Steel" column], I just wanted to
let ya know that WFCOMICS actually stands for "World FAMOUS Comics". You
have us as "Finest", which we'd of course like to be! Also, we're not a
comic shop, WFCOMICS is purely a fan and pro online destination. At
present, the only items we sell ourselves are the books we've put out
(we're dabbling a bit in publishing).
Finally, please feel free to visit our message boards and plug The
Kryptonian Cybernet whenever you make an update (or just hang out there).
As you know--aside from Bob Ingersoll--Tony Isabella, Alvin Schwartz, and
Bob "the Answer Man" Rozakis are WFC columnists and board groupies. As
well, those three have all written and/or been involved in quite a bit of
the writing of Superman.
**** We regret having run incorrect information about your site, Justin,
and thank you for the corrections.
============================================
From: Johanna Draper Carlson <johanna@comicsworthreading.com>
I don't know if Steve [Vance] is Australian (although I doubt it), but he
currently lives in California, where he's an accomplished graphic designer,
with credits including the Rhino 50s Rock 'n' Roll box set. He's also
worked on several of the Paradox Big Books.
============================================
From: David Schock <david1313@webtv.net>
[Message edited from a posting to alt.comics.superman:]
Sorry to disagree with you, but I enjoyed _Action_ #761. It is a story of a
man in love with two women and still being able to remain faithful to his
wife. I believe Clark does love Diana -- not in the same way that, or as
strongly as he loves Lois, but he does love her. And as for Diana, there
can be no doubt that she loves him. See _Wonder Woman_ #140-141, _Superman:
King of the World_, or all the other examples. There were some subtle
touches -- at the start of the story, Clark is in bed and Lois is standing
over him holding a blue blanket over her head. At the end of the story
Clark is once again in bed (wounded), only now Diana is standing over him
holding a blanket over her head. When she is sitting on his bed holding his
hand, it is evident that she is more than willing to take the moment much
further. Only his love for Lois and his morality stops him from doing what
he also wanted. I also thought it refreshing that in the end it was
Superman leaning on Wonder Woman for comfort and support. In that scene,
where he tells her he loves her, and she responds, "I love you too Clark,"
she is the strong one. Also of note: she used the name Clark, as his wife
would, and not Kal, which is how Diana always addressed him. Lois and Clark
are supposed to have some upcoming marriage problems, and Diana will be
paying another visit in March. Perhaps Diana will be busy reassuring Lois
that her husband will always choose Lois first.
**** You should never apologize for disagreeing. Nobody expects that all
Superman readers will have the same reaction to each and every story.
In fact, it's only the very best and very worst stories which tend to
result in anything even *near* uniformity in opinion.
============================================
From: Doug Tisdale <dmtisdale_jr@yahoo.com>
In response to the answer to my "Hypertime" question, I agree that you have
a point that _The Kingdom_ and _Kingdom Come_ could be from alternate but
very, very similar Hypertimelines. I've been conducting a similar
discussion on the DC Comics Message Boards, and have come up with some
pretty interesting theories regarding Hypertime. I think that _The Kingdom_
is the one, true timeline, however. I base this on my conclusion that
Jonathan Kent II, the son of Clark and Diana (and Bruce) in _The Kingdom_
is in reality the Phantom Stranger. There's a lot of evidence that I think
supports this; so if Jonathan II is the Stranger, and the Stranger is a
part of the DCU, then "The Kingdom" must represent the future of the one,
true timeline.
Anyway I don't want to bore you with all the theories we've come up with;
if you're curious you can read them for yourself at
http://dcboards.warnerbros.com/cgi/Ultimate.cgi. Click on "Superman," then
on "Other Superman Topics," and look for the thread entitled "Hypertime"
authored by Mr Mxyztplk (which is me). If you read them, please email me
(or leave a post of your own) and let me know what you think.
**** I would hesitate to claim that any stories set in the future
(including those shown in the Legion titles) constitute a one, true
timeline. If that were the case, then it would seriously hamstring
DC's writers and editors, since they'd have to be certain that
stories set in the present did not make impossible the events in
those stories set in the future.
============================================
From: Paddington <seekingsolace@hotmail.com>
I just want to know if a superman rubber stamp exists?
**** I've never seen or heard of one, but I would be shocked if one has
not been produced at some point during the Man of Steel's 60+ years.
I'm passing your query along to the KC readers. Maybe one of them
can help.
Well, that ends a rather short edition of the Mailbag. Please don't
hesitate to send us your comments, reactions, and questions at
mailbag@kryptonian-cybernet.com!
-- Jeff Sykes
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End of Issue #70
